Love Will Lead You Back
by IMPeak123
Summary: The 1st in my series on Callie and Arizona, picking up after the accident in season 7.


**Love Will Lead You Back**

**By Peak123**

**This is my first fic, so please leave comments. All about what happens after 7x18. Had to write this because I just can't take this long hiatus again. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's Anatomy or any of the characters/story lines**

_**Ok, so for all of you who have been reading...thanks! And thanks for letting me know about the formatting issue...should be easier to read now that I fixed it, guess it wasn't transferring right. **_

**Chapter 1**

**Arizona's POV**:

She said yes, Calliope woke up and the first thing that she said was yes. I was so happy she wasalive and functioning enough to speak, when she said she would marry me all I could do was in an it's funny sort of way, but in an amazed and thoroughly elated laugh of joy. Callie said those words, mumbled for a minute and closed her eyes again. I wasn't afraid though, it would take time for her to recover and she needed rest above all else. We would have more time to talk later…the rest of our lives.

After I talked to the nurses, Bailey, Derek, and Teddy about Callie's brief time of coherence, I figured it was time to go find Mark and tell him Callie was going to be ok. After scrubbing like I was about to operate, I put on a pink gown and headed into the NICU. Mark was asleep on the stool in front of the baby's isolette, his hand through the small hole in the side of the enclosure. I gently tapped him on the back and he sprung up like a caged tiger ready to fight. "It's ok Mark, it's just me."

He sat back down, turning the stool to face me. "Oh God," he said. "Callie, did she…."

I shook my head. "No Mark, she's alive. Better than that, she woke up."

Mark looked as if her didn't believe me at first. I explained to him what happened, minus the part where Callie agreed to marry me…I wanted to keep that to myself, at least for a little while. It was such a special moment, plus I was kind of hoping that Callie would tell him. That's if she remembered, and if she really meant it. I snapped myself out of the crazy, insecure conversation I was having in my own head and told Mark to take a break, get some coffee or food, and go see Callie if he was up for it.

"Great idea Robbins, I think I'll take a shower and grab something to eat before I head up there." He removed his hand from underneath the baby's and turned to walk out of the NICU.

"Arizona, I really am sorry" he said. "You saved my little girl, _our_ little girl…I know you love them both, and I know Callie loves you, is in love with you and not me. I guess through this whole thing, I have just been scared that you would take over my role as the other parent. I mean, Callie definitely didn't want to marry me and kept telling me I didn't have to be involved. But you- she was worried sick you weren't gonna stick around. She said something felt wrong about having this baby without you."

I was in shock. Not only was Mark Sloan again admitting he was wrong, he was telling me all these things I never knew. He offered to marry Callie and she turned him down. And she wanted me. Me. To be the other half of her, the other parent. My heart swelled in my chest and I knew then that she would remember, that she meant it all. God did I love her. Again, I had to snap myself out of it and focus on what was happening.

Mark left and I approached the isolette. I surveyed the situation as a doctor first, checking the warmer temperature, the oxygen mask, all the tubes and machines. Everything was as it should be from a medical standpoint, which made me relieved. I looked down at the little sleeping beauty…that's what she was- truly beautiful. Just like I told Calliope, she was gorgeous despite being underdeveloped and clinging to life. Suddenly, the doctor in me disappeared and the Mom in me kicked in. When I looked down at her again, my eyes filled with tears and I felt as if my chest was going to cave in. I took a deep breath and sat down, slowly and cautiously placing my hand into the small hole to touch my little girl. I gently caressed her tiny hand, rubbing delicate circles over her chest in the small space where there were no wires. My heart broke as I saw the effort it took for her to take each breath. I began to sob and just let the tears fall.

"I'm so sorry baby girl," I whispered to her over and over. "I'm so sorry you had to start your life this way. But I promise you that me and your mama will make sure you have the best life, if you can just hang on for us. We will love you, we _do _love you…I love you, I love you. And I am your mom, I will always be one of your mommies. Ok? Ok baby girl. It's all gonna be ok. Me and your mama, we are gonna get married and we will all be so happy. But we need you., we really need you to be with us."

More tears fell from my eyes and for a split second I remember that this is why I didn't want children. The pain, the agony parents go through when their child is sick or hurt. I've seen it hundreds of times with patients, seen what their moms and dads have endured. Suddenly, I was that mom. I smiled, smiled at my beautiful mini Calliope and knew that I wouldn't trade her for the world. Even if this was frightening and heart-breaking, I wanted her more than anything.

"Dr. Robbins…?" I heard Kepner ask as she slowly approached us.

"Yes, Dr. Kepner," I said as I wiped my tear-stained face. April proceeded to tell me that it was time to change the baby's tubing and check her vitals again.

"If you want to do it, I'll just sign off on it. No one has to know," she said.

"Thanks April, I really appreciate that but I am her mother and I think we should try to keep it that way. Unless of course there is an emergency, then you page me right away. Not Stark. Got it?"

She nodded in quiet agreement and I stepped back to let her get started. Before I left, I took the opportunity to kiss my little girl softly on her head. That head full of beautiful raven hair. "Goodnight, my sweet girl. I'll be back to see you in the morning. Your mama needs me too. Don't worry, April here is gonna take real good care of you. Isn't that right, Dr. Kepner?"

April wiped the tears that had escaped her while listening to me. "Yes I will," she choked out.. Your mommy is right, I'll take good care of you little one." I thanked Kepner again and left the NICU, smiling at the sound of being called mommy.

**Callie's POV**:

Why is it so hard to get my eyes to open? I woke up before, I know I can do it again. But I am so tired, I've never been so tired in all my life. I hear someone talking, a man's voice. Sounds like Mark. He's saying that the baby is doing ok, that he thinks she will make it because she's a fighter like me. She? _She?_ We had a girl? The baby was born? But it's way too early, she wasn't anywhere near ready to come out. I feel my belly…it's true, no more baby in there. This can't be good. Oh God, please. My baby. My head is spinning as all of these thought course through my brain.

Arizona. Where is Arizona? I need her, need to hear her voice, need for her to tell me what happened with the baby. Like an angel, she appears and takes my hand in hers. She must see the panic in my eyes and she knows I am silently asking about my baby. "Mark, why don't you go back down to the NICU," I hear her say. I bet Kepner is all done checking her vitals by now." Mark walks over and kisses the top of my head, then says he'll see me later and walks out of the room.

Arizona pulls up a stool, letting go of my hand for a second. I cry out as loud as I possibly can, my vision's still blurry so I am terrified she is leaving with Mark.

"No, no, I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. See? Just need to sit. You're not the only one who's tired, you know?" She says this in a nervous but playful tone, and I begin to breathe a little easier. She then grabs my hand again, this time squeezing it hard and lavishing it with tender kisses.

I can feel how much she loves me and I blurt out, "I love you Arizona. I'm so sorry I haven't been telling you so much lately. I was just scared you might leave us, but I'm pretty sure I was wrong. I'm hoping I was wr…"

She cuts me off with the most gentle and loving kiss I have ever felt, like she is afraid to break my lips. I can taste her salty tears and open my eyes wide to look at her. She looks ragged, exhausted…but so beautiful too. I notice the cuts and bruises and swollen lips, as my vision becomes clearer.

"Oh my God, you are hurt. Baby, did anyone even check you out?" I ask her.

"I am fine Cal," she firmly states. "You are alive, you're here with me…I'm good. I'm good."

I can tell she is lying, that this has been rough for her and she's in the worst kind of pain. Emotional pain. She is being strong for me, and I love her even more. I am still so out of sorts, my thoughts are all over the place and suddenly I remember the baby.

"Baby, the baby…our baby, it's a girl? Is that right? Is she ok?" I feel panicked once again, but Arizona calms me with her super magic smile and those dimples. I breathe easier again, reaching for her hand…and it's there.

She tells me what happened after the delivery and what they are doing to keep the baby safe and comfortable. I can't help but cry, thinking of this little person struggling just to live. I haven't even seen her, met her really…but I love her, she is mine…_ours._ Mark is with her now, Arizona tells me.

"And I just came from there," she says. "I've been going up to check on her when I'm not with you. She is so beautiful Calliope, so beautiful and so strong. Resilient. And so sweet, she is going to have us wrapped around her little fingers. And she is going to drive us nuts, she will be stubborn and want things her way all of the time. She is us, she will be just like you…and like me too, I think. Even though she's not me really. No, you know what? She _is _mine. I'm her mommy too, I really feel like I am. And I love her so much already. It's scary."

Oh, how I missed her crazy rambling. If I thought I was in love with Arizona Robbins before, I certainly know I am now. The way her eyes were lighting up talking about our daughter, that is what I wanted all along. That is why I wanted children…children with her.

"Thank you," I say to her. She gives me a questioning look. "Thank you for coming back for me, thank you for staying, and thank you for saving our little girl. I know all of this hasn't been ideal for you, or easy by any means. But you stayed, you're staying…that means everything to me. _You are everything to me." _

_I start to feel tired, both from the physical exhaustion of being up for what seems like forever even though it's only been 35 minutes, and from the emotional highs and lows I am feeling right now. I fight to stay awake, but Arizona warns me that I won't be able to see the baby until I am stronger so I need to rest. As much as I hate to admit she is right…well, she is right. Damn woman is always right. Oh well, at least she was right about us. I love her and she loves me, and none of the rest of it matters. We are together, together with our little girl. And she's gonna make it because that's Arizona's baby and she won't let anything happen to her baby. _

**Chapter 2**

**Callie's POV:**

It's only been a few days, but it feels like years that I have been in this hospital. I am still in and out most of the time, getting lucky once in a while to stay awake for an hour or so. Arizona is usually there when I wake up, she must not be sleeping at all these days. The times that I wake up alone or with someone else, like Mark or Bailey there, Arizona is always in the NICU. I keep asking to go down there to see my little girl, but they say I'm not strong enough. I can't quite tell if they mean physically or emotionally. Either way, I am starting to get pissed and decide that someone will have to let me see her today.

"Arizona, how many days have I been in here?" I ask when she walks in with my favorite blanket from home and a bag full of some new surprise. Everyday, she has been bringing me something special. My comfy slippers, pictures of my family, anything she can think of to cheer me up and distract me from the fact that I haven't met my own child yet.

"It's been 5 days now Calliope, one more than yesterday. I know it must seem a lot longer, but 5 days is not much recovery time for someone who's been through what you have," she says to me.

"Is that supposed to make me feel better, cause it doesn't," I reply. "I want to see her Arizona, I _need_ to see her. Don't you think she wants to see me, or at least know I am there. I think you just want to be her favorite mommy, that's why you are keeping her from me."

I say this last bit with a straight face, but laugh when I see her dimples vanish and a frown start to form.

"Relax, the last part was a joke…I'm willing to try anything to get into that NICU."

Arizona tells me that she has also been begging Derek and the others to let me out of my room for a little bit to see _our girl_. I love the way she says that and my eyes start to tear up. Arizona quickly takes my face in her hands and wipes the lone tear that has escaped.

"I have an idea," she says and turns to walk away. "When I come back, you just go along with anything I say and do. Got it?" she asks.

"Got it boss," I say back. "This better be good," I yell as I see her exit with a strange grin on her face. I lean back and hope that I can fight the urge to sleep. I glance at the clock every few minutes, just waiting to see what Arizona's got up her sleeve. Suddenly, I hear a nurse talking and then Arizona. Something about me needing a sponge bath. Is this for real? If she thinks this is romantic, she is crazy. Plus, even I don't think I could muster up the energy for anything sexy right now.

"Please make sure no one comes in Meg," I hear Arizona say to my nurse. "Wouldn't want to embarrass her or anything."

I laugh to myself because I can hear the lie in her voice. What the heck is she up to? Arizona pushed open the door, wheeling in a cart with some towels, a sponge, and basin on top.

"Oh my God, you were serious out there?" I ask. "Arizona, this is not necessary. There are nurses for…" She puts her pointer finger to her lips and whispers, "Shhh." She then lifts the sheet draped over the cart and reveals her biggest and most incredible surprise yet.

"You could get fired for this," I blurt out, but she ignores me and locks the door behind her. She carefully lifts the isolette that is holding our daughter and checks to make sure that none of the wires or tubes have been affected during the move from the NICU.

"I can't keep her here long Cal, this is the only portable oxygen that the NICU has, and they are gonna be missing it real soon. Not to mention the baby who is supposed to be back from a supposed ECG in about 5 minutes.. Guess it pays to have a girlfriend who can pull rank up there in Peds, huh? I know she probably looks different from what you envisioned her to be, but for a pre-term baby this young she is quite remarkable," she starts to say.

But before she can finish, I muster up all my strength and stand up to kiss her with as much passion and love as I can possibly emit from my lips. Her smile tells me she understood the meaning behind that kiss.

"You are…amazing. And crazy. And amazing…and so _not _my girlfriend. My _fiancé_, soon to be my _wife_, so don't make that mistake again. Thank you Arizona, thank you for bringing her here."

I look at the baby and feel both sorrow and joy when I see her. I am just so glad she is alive and that I am with her, I forget about all the complications and terrifying possibilities.

"She's perfect, she's so beautiful," I say to Arizona at last. "And you're right, she looks so strong for someone so tiny and frail."

I then turn my full attention to my daughter, as I reach in and hold her tiny little hand. "Hello little one, I am your mama. Well, one of your mamas. I think you already know the other one, huh? She's amazing, isn't she?" I look over to Arizona as I say this, her eyes brimming with fresh tears. "Sorry it took me so long to get to you, there's nowhere I want to be more than with you. I wish I could hold you baby…" I start to break and Arizona is behind me, her arms around my middle to hold me up, her fingers laced with mine on our little girl. Just then, the baby's eyes flutter open for a brief second and her breathing seems a bit easier.

"See Callie, I told you she was looking for you," Arizona whispers in my ear. "I'm so sorry Cal, but I really need to take her back up to the NICU. Not only could I get fired, possibly arrested if I got caught…but she really needs to be hooked back up to all the monitors and stuff. Don't want to take any chances, you know?"

I tell Arizona that I understand, and I do…but my heart breaks as the sheet is placed back over the cart and Arizona wheels our daughter out of my room.

"Hope you enjoyed your sponge bath Calliope," I hear her say as she turns the corner by the nurses station. I chuckle softly to myself, wiping away a stray tear.

I sit down on the hospital bed and grab my blanket before lying down. It smells like Arizona, she said she's been sleeping with it here in the on-call room. I can still feel my baby's soft skin on my finger tips too, and I know this is going to be a night filled with peaceful slumber and the sweetest dreams.

**Arizona's POV:**

Bringing our baby to Callie was quite possibly the riskiest, most undeniably insane thing I have ever done in my whole life. But it was all worth it to see her eyes light up when she looked at our little girl. I think back to the day of the shooting, the promises I made to her that night of 10 kids with her as an amazing mom. I decide right then and there that I will do anything to keep our baby alive and let Callie have her dream. Both of my girls happy and health…and home with me, that is my dream now.

The smile on my face is replaced with fear and anxiety as I see Stark approaching the NICU. I am still re-connecting the baby's lines and oxygen when he enters the room.

"Robbins, what the hell are you doing?" he asks me. I am unsure how to go about all of this. Do I lie and hope he believes me? I can't dare tell the truth.

"The baby had to go to cardiology for an ECG and since I can't do much of anything else for her around here, I figured it wouldn't hurt if I took her." He looks me up and down, as if he is assessing my statement and its validity.

"This is my child, Dr. Stark…and I know I can't be a part of her medical team, but I needed to do something. So I wheeled her down the hall and back. OK?"

"Well," he says…"for one thing, nurses usually bring babies back and forth to cardio and neuro exams. Not doctors and certainly not parents. But I guess I can let it slide…I mean, she's not really your baby anyway."

The words cut me like a knife, it's the second time I've been slapped by the hand of biology. First Mark, now this cold and heartless bastard. I wince in pain, as if he had actually struck me. I want to yell, to tell him to screw himself…that she is mine, she's mine in the way it really counts. I chose her, more than even Callie and Mark…I chose her and I love her. And she is mine. Damn it, she is my child too. But I can't say that to Stark, don't want any more questions about where the baby had been that day. So I eat his insult and wait for him to leave before exhaling and letting more tears flow. I finish what I was doing with _my_ daughter, and head back to Callie's room.

She is asleep when I get there, the blanket I brought her earlier wrapped around her with her hand on her heart. She looks peaceful, and even though her cuts and bruises are still healing, I think she is simply stunning. Breathtakingly beautiful, just like our little girl. God that baby is lucky to have Calliope for a mother. No one could ask for better genes than that, it will more than make up for the fact that she's half Sloan. Half Mark, half Callie…none of me.

I know I shouldn't let Stark's comment bother me so much, but I can't help it. Is this how it's always gonna be? Are people always gonna think of her as "their" baby, and say she's not really mine. I start to cry for the hundredth time that day, letting all the emotions of the day get to me.

I don't realize how loud my sobbing has become and am surprised when I hear Callie say, "Hey, what's wrong? Is the baby ok…please don't tell me something happened because you brought her to me. I am so stupid, I should have just waited til I could go to her and stopped being so annoying about it."

"No, no…the baby is fine," I reassure her. It's nothing, I am just tired and being silly. Please, go back to sleep. I'll be here all night, my shift ended a few minutes ago."

Callie gives me her _cut the crap and tell me what's going on_ look, and after all we've been though I decided that telling her the truth is for the best from now on. We need to be honest with one another and share our true feelings from now on.

"I almost got caught by Stark when I brought the baby back to the NICU," I tell her. "So I told him she had gone down to cardio…Teddy said she will vouch for me if he questions it…and anyway, I said I brought her because I wanted to do something for my child."

Callie is looking at me like she doesn't quite understand where I am going with this story. "Ok," she says. "Do you think he knows you were lying, is he gonna make this an issue…I really hope you don't get into any trouble for all of this," she says obviously feeling guilty over the situation.

"No, I think he believed me because he lectured me on how nurses are supposed to bring NICU patients for their exams, not doctors or parents." Again, Callie gives me a questioning look. I take a deep breath and quickly spew out the rest. "Then he said that it didn't matter cause I'm not really her parent anyway." Finally, it clicks for Callie and she drops her head down a bit. She looks as defeated as I feel and I can tell she is trying to think of what to say next.

"He's wrong, you know? You have to believe me when I say that, it doesn't matter what genetics say. You are her mother, just as much as I am. I really feel that way Arizona," Callie says.

My head is still hung low and I can't lift it to make eye contact just yet. I know she is trying to make me feel better and I want to believe what she is saying…but I still know that biologically _and_ legally, I am nothing to that little girl.

"Arizona, please say something. Look at me," Callie begs.

I can't look at her, I feel bad enough already without seeing the sadness in her eyes. Neither one of us can change what's happened or how that little girl was made. And I don't regret Callie getting pregnant anymore, I love the baby…I just wish there was some way to really make her mine.

Finally, I gain the courage to look her in the eyes and say, "I know _you_ will always treat me like her mother. _YOU_ will…but other people? Society? Stark was right, hell I guess even Mark was right." At that last statement, Callie's eyes grow wide with confusion.

"Mark?" she asks. Mark said what?"

I tell her about the conversation we had outside her room the day of the accident, how I wanted to save the baby and he said they could just screw again to make another one. How he said I shouldn't even get an opinion because I was no one, nothing. Now all I can see is anger in here eyes.

"I will kill him," she yells. How dare he? How dare he say those things to you?" I can almost feel her blood pressure rising from across the room and remember that she needs to relax.

Trying to calm her down a bit, I say, "he was worried and being irrational. And he did apologize…really, I'm not even mad at him anymore, I'm just mad because people are always gonna think that way. When she goes to pre-school, you are gonna have to sign a paper saying I can pick her up because I'm not related to her. When there's a school concert that only 2 people can attend, I will be the one without a seat. And when she hates us during her teen years, I'm sure I can look forward to her throwing it in my face that I'm not _really_ her mother anyway. "

I'm crying again…damn it, I am so sick of crying.

"Please Arizona, please don't cry. I hate seeing you cry," Callie says. "I will set Mark straight, and anyone else who wants to question your role in our daughter's life. I'm not sorry about the baby, but I _am_ sorry I slept with Mark. And I promise you, it will never ever happen again. You are the only person I want to sleep with…hell, I didn't even really _want_ to sleep with him this last time. I just…I was so broken without you, I really thought screwing him would take my mind off of you. And I know I've told you this before, but it didn't. It didn't work, nothing could take my mind off of you. So you _were there when this baby was conceived…physically, it might have been Mark but my mind-my soul, was dreaming of you…of making love to you." _

_When Callie utters this last statement, I look up and see the love shining through all the sadness in those big, brown eyes. We have hurt each other so much through all of this, but underneath it all there is love. Pure love and devotion. I slowly approach her, taking her hands in mine and stare straight into her beautiful eyes. _

_"I was dreaming of you too, Calliope," I tell her. "I thought about you every minute of every day in Africa. I thought about your smile, those beautiful eyes, your gorgeous body wrapped around mine. I made love to you in my mind every night. So maybe you are right…maybe I was there when she was created, even though we were miles and miles apart." _

_Callie is the one with tears in her eyes now, and she closes the small space between us as she pulls me into the warmest, most loving embrace. _

_"You are her mommy…I know it, you know it, she knows it. And I will make sure that the whole world knows it," she says before leaning back to look deep into my eyes. I smile a real smile, then lean in to kiss her gently. _

_"Thank you Calliope…thank you for coming back to me, and thank you for our little girl."_

**Chapter 3**

**Arizona's POV:**

It has been two weeks since my life got turned upside down. Two weeks since a baby shower, a surprise getaway, an argument over Mark Sloan, a terrible accident, a premature birth…so many things have happened, it's been a whirlwind of emotions, the roller-coaster ride to hell and back. Amidst all the horror and anguish, there has also been a proposal, lives saved, recovery, forgiveness…plus an engagement and a beautiful baby girl.

There have been some really high highs, and some really low lows…and I know that this journey is far from over. Calliope, my beautiful Calliope…she is getting better everyday. Teddy says her heart is healing well, Derek has given her the highest rating on the neurological function test, and Lucy says Callie is recovering from the cesarean like any new mother would be. All in all, the physical outcome for Callie has been good. But emotionally…well, I am starting to worry about her. Hell, I am starting to worry about myself. We've been in this hospital for 13 days, Callie basically chained to a hospital bed and me running back and forth between her and the NICU.

Once a day, I help Callie into a wheelchair and escort her down to see our little Sophia. After the night Callie finally got to meet her, she said it was about time we picked a name.

I was totally prepared for another argument between us and Mark, but Callie said, "This is all yours Arizona, you are the reason she is still here so you should name her. And don't worry about Mark, when I am done talking to him later the last thing he is gonna worry about is her name."

It took me a while to decide on Sophia. I thought about naming her Danielle and calling her Danny, like my brother. But she doesn't look like a Danny to me. I wanted to name her something symbolic though, give her a story behind the name her mother chose for her. An important piece of her puzzle that came from me.

Then one night while sitting with her tiny hand in mine, I remembered my first preemie. Fresh out of med-school, thinking I knew it all and owned the world of pediatrics, my resident gave all of us interns a tour of the NICU. Most of the babies had minor complications, and would be released within a few weeks to go home with their loving and anxious parents. But I noticed that one isolette never had any visitors. I checked the chart and saw that this little girl, Sophia Parker, had been born at 26 weeks to a drug addicted mother who never came back once she was released from the maternity ward. The baby had been turned over the state's social services and would be put on the adoption list as soon as…well, _if _she recovered.

From that day on, I spent my lunch break talking to Sophia, holding her hand, encouraging her to live. She was so beautiful, just like our Sophia, and I grew attached to her even though I should not have. She got stronger every day, survived multiple surgeries on her lungs and trachea, and finally stopped going through withdrawal. After 2 ½ months, she finally came off the ventilator and I held her for the first and only time.

The next day, she was gone. I panicked and screamed at the NICU nurses, demanding to know what happened. She was adopted, they told me…her new parents had picked her up that morning before my rounds had even started. I was kind of sad that I would never see her again, never had the chance to say goodbye. But I was so happy for her, happy that she would have a loving family to care for her. People who were willing to jump through hoops to keep her, even though she wasn't biologically their child.

That is how I feel about our daughter, I would do anything for her and I don't love her any less because she doesn't share my genetic makeup. The name was perfect. Sophia…definitely the name for a fighter, a strong and beautiful little girl. I told Callie my story and asked what she thought. Because let's face it, this is her baby too and she has to at least _like_ the name.

With tears in her eyes she said, "It's perfect. You're perfect. Our little angel Sophia is perfect."

I rushed right back down to the NICU, replacing the card that read Baby Girl Torres with a new card that read Sophia Torres.

"Hello Sophia, it's your mommy. I hope you like your name. When you are a big girl, mommy will tell you all about your name and what it means to me. I love you Sophia.," I said as I blew a kiss to her through the glass.

I went back upstairs to Callie's room to tuck her in for the night, but when I got there she already had a visitor. I thought I heard yelling as I exited the elevator, but didn't know it was Calliope until I turned the corner and heard ranting in Spanish. Oh, Mark was getting verbally slapped in the face.

"She's the love of my life Mark," I heard Callie say once her Spanish tirade was over. "That's not nothing." And here I thought I couldn't fall any more in love with her.

**Callie's POV:**

I hadn't seen Mark at all today, he had to work and spent his break in the NICU. Safe to say, he has probably been avoiding Arizona. I am still so angry about what he said to her and I have got to straighten things out once and for all. Mark busts right into the room as usual, and plops down in the chair next to my bed.

"Baby seems to be doing good, Cal. Sorry I haven't seen you yet today, but it's been hectic. I had a woman come in with a terrible laceration and…" he starts to go on and on about his day.

I can't believe I've been blind to his selfish, egotistical ways for so long. I mean, he _is_ my best friend, he has been there for me through ups and downs…but that doesn't mean he's not a complete and utter ass most of the time.

"Whoa, whoa…stop right there Mark," I say to him. He looks at me with confusion and is about to say something else when I interject.

"First of all, the baby has a name now. It's Sophia. Second, we need to talk about what you said to Arizona after the accident."

Mark is astounded that I let Arizona name the baby and I tell him that she is a parent too, and she is contributing the name. He looks like he's gonna argue with me about it but changes his mind, and instead starts a poor attempt at explaining his actions the day of the accident.

"I was upset Callie…you were, well I thought you might die. And she was worrying about the baby," he says.

"See Mark, that's what parents do…they worry about their kids. She's a parent, obviously a better one than you," I tell him.

He then tries to convince me that Arizona wasn't concerned about my well-being at all, but I know she was just trying to save the baby for me. That's what I would have wanted.

"And then she called me a sperm donor Cal…but that's ok?" he asks.

"Well, that's not too nice but how do you expect her to feel?" I ask him in return. I slept with you and you got me knocked up. Do you have any idea how much that hurts her? And if you weren't my best friend, if you were some random one night stand…I probably would never have told you about the baby. I mean, it's not like I am in love with you. We didn't make this baby out of magical love-making. That's what I do with Arizona, Mark. I make love to Arizona. With you, it was just sex. It's always been _just sex_. And I want you to be involved with the baby, be her dad…but for you to act like our relationship is anything more, to compare it in any way to my relationship with her. Well, that's just ridiculous."

I can tell he isn't pleased by what I am saying, but he takes it all in and remains quiet for a while. Then out of nowhere, he stand up and says, "fine, whatever…you love her, not me. I'm not a moron, I get it. But this is my kid, not hers. Legally…she is nothing"

That's it, that's the breaking point for me. I lose it. I get up out of my bed and get in his face, yelling profanities in Spanish so at least some of the nurses don't understand what I am saying. I start to feel weak and sit back down, trying to slow my breathing and calm myself.

"She is the love of my life, Mark. That's not nothing. She is going to be as much of a parent to Sophia as either one of us, probably a better parent than either one of us. And we are going to get married, so she _will _be the one making decisions for me from now on. And if you don't want me to fight you for sole custody, you _will_ sign legal documents that recognize Arizona as a third parent. I'm not asking you to give up your rights, but I want to know that if something happens to me she will still be a part of Sophia's life. Heck, I want her to know that even if I screw up again and she leaves me…that I will never take her baby away from her. You and I, we did this. We screwed, we got pregnant. That was the choice _we _made. But Arizona, she is choosing to be a mother when she doesn't have to. She is choosing to help us parent, to love our little girl. Please Mark, don't make this any harder than it has to be…any harder than it already is. Sophia, she is struggling just to live. Isn't that enough of a battle? None of us need to be mad all the time, to argue over everything. We can work together, the three of us. We can be parents together, you and I can stay friends, and I can have my life with Arizona too."

I finish my long-winded speech and feel unsure about how Mark is gonna respond.

"Ok, he says…ok. I will sign the papers, I will make amends with her…for you, but mostly for _Sophia. Arizona saved her, our baby deserves a good pediatrician for a mom," he says lightly with a smirk. I smile and nod in agreement. _

_"I know you can't do this without her Callie, and I can't do it without you," Mark admits. Despite what she thinks, I know you two are good for each other and I do want you to be happy. If you are happy, Sophia will be happy. But you can't shut me out Cal, I meant it when I said that I want to be a dad. I have a right to be around, to be in her life too," he adds. _

_"I don't want to cut you out of her life," I reassure him. "I know you love her and that you will be a good dad. But being in her life doesn't mean always being in my life with Arizona. We don't necessarily have to make some rigid schedule or specific visitation times, but there have to be boundaries. You can't just show up unannounced and barge into our home, you have to knock when you come over to see the baby, and you have to respect that Arizona is my life partner. We need time alone with Sophia, time alone just the two of us when you have Sophia…get my drift?" _

_I think Mark is starting to see that things are going to be different from now on. "Got it," he says. _

_Just then, I see Arizona out of the corner of my eye. She is sitting across from my room at the nurses station, obviously pretending not to listen in on my conversation with Mark. But I don't care that she heard it, I'm glad she heard it…it needed to be said, all of it. For her, for us. I almost died two weeks ago, I could have never woken up, never seen my baby girl or the love of my life again. But I did wake up…in more ways than one, and I am never gonna let anything come between me and Arizona again. _

_I open the door and say goodnight to Mark, then motion for my little eavesdropper to come in. She shuts the door behind her, and I push her up against it and kiss her with every ounce of love and passion I have inside of me. _

_"I know you heard everything I said nosey," I say with a laugh. She blushes slightly and then I see the tears start to form in her eyes. _

_"Thank you Calliope, what you did…what you said, means the world to me. I love you so much." _

_I shut her up with another round of kisses, this time begging her to let my tongue enter her beautiful mouth. She doesn't tease me for too long, it seems like forever since we have really kissed in this way. _

_"I love you too, Arizona" I whisper in her ear as I pull her body as close to mine as physically possible. She kisses me this time, slowly and sweetly. Time goes by and before I know it, we have been up against that door for over an hour. _

_I see Arizona glance at the clock too. She laces her fingers through mine, then leads me to my bed where she tucks me in, just like she has done every night for the past two weeks. Instead of sleeping on the cot, she climbs in behind me and wraps her arms around me. Everything is going to be ok…I can feel it when she's with me. _

**Chapter 4**

**Callie's POV:**

I woke up this morning, feeling more awake and alive than I have in the past few weeks. Who knew that sleeping with someone next to you could have such a powerful effect? I open my eyes and see the most beautiful, peaceful looking woman lying there, her arms still wrapped around me, her head resting gently on my shoulder.

"Arizona…hey, Arizona," I call to her.

She stirs a little, then clings harder to me before sitting up enough to kiss me. She looks into my eyes and I feel like I could get lost in the moment with her all over again, just like the night before. Then, reality snaps us both out of our blissful state when the door opens and Teddy comes in, wheeling a full tray of breakfast and coffee for the two of us.

"Morning ladies…have a nice night?" she asks with a silly smirk.

Arizona kisses me again then gets out of bed. I pout and beckon her back over to me. She slides a stool next to my bed and makes us both a cup of coffee. Teddy just stands there watching us eat, looking rather awkward but not saying much.

"Teddy…what's wrong? You didn't just come to visit me, did you?" I ask, finally breaking the uncomfortable silence.

"Well," she says, "I did want to check up on you, both of you really. I cant even imagine how hard these past few weeks have been on you guys. And I really wish I didn't have to be the one to tell you, it may get even harder."

Arizona squeezes me hand before saying, "Calliope's heart, it's still in trouble…but I thought, you said…you said she was healing, that she would make a full recovery." Arizona voice starts to crack, and I rub her back to sooth her.

"Shhh, it's ok. I'm ok Arizona," I tell her, unsure if it's the truth. "Am I ok, Teddy? I mean, yesterday you said everything looked good." Teddy pulls up a stool at the foot of my bed and takes a deep breath.

"It's not about you Callie," she says. "It's the baby, she…her ECG came back this morning and it appears there is a small hole in the left ventricle. You see when the heart forms in the womb, this hole is usually present until about 26 weeks or so. Then it naturally closes on its own as the baby develops. But since…"

Arizona cuts her off. "But since she was born before 26 weeks, that didn't happen. Right? So now she will need surgery to repair it," Arizona says, her voice full of worry and emotion.

"Surgery? Surgery?" I yell. "Oh my God, is that safe? Will she make it through open heart surgery at such a young age, I mean she is already a preemie. How much more can she take?"

I start to cry, tears pouring from my eyes and I just keep repeating, "Why? Why God…please, that's our little girl. She's just a baby."

Teddy says she will be back as soon as she knows more about the surgery, gives Arizona a hug and leaves. We sit there for a minute, Arizona silent as I continue my plea to God. I guess Arizona couldn't take it anymore. Without a word, she gets up and walk out of the room. I am not sure how to feel when she leaves like that. Is she running away? Is this all too much for her? Maybe she can't handle all of this, maybe she's gonna bail again. Oh God, what if I lose her and then the baby.

I feel like the whole world is crashing down on me and I start to panic. My breathing becomes labored, between the anxiety and the crying. Then, just as quickly as she left, Arizona is back. I can see the agony still present on her tear-stained face, but she shakes it off as she wipes her eyes and sits back down to take my hand in hers. She is trying to be strong…so strong-for me.

"I thought you were gonna bail on me for a minute," I choke out between sobs.

"What?" she cries. "Bail on you…Calliope, no. I meant what I said in that elevator. Bailing is a thing of the past. I'm here now, never going anywhere without you ever ever again. You understand me?"

I cant physically speak at this point, so I nod my head to let her know I believe her. She throws her arms around me, holding me tightly as I unleash more tears. Eventually I can breathe again and I apologize for doubting her.

"I shouldn't have left," she says. "I just, I feel like so much of this is my fault. Because I was jealous of Mark that day, you took off your seatbelt. Because I spontaneously proposed to you and took my eyes off of the road, we hit a truck and you almost died. Because of the accident, our little girl was born early and has all these complications. All of this happened because of me. I'm so sorry Calliope…I don't know how you can even look at me sometimes, let alone want to marry me."

Finally, the tears start flowing from Arizona. I just hold her and let her cry…she needs to get it out, let it all go. When she seems calm enough to talk, I start by saying, "I love you with all of my heart, Arizona Robbins. I don't _want _to marry you, I _need to marry you. What happened was an accident, that's why it's called an accident. You are not to blame, the circumstances are. We were arguing over Mark-that is my fault. I should have never let him come between us the way he has. I am an idiot…I didn't see how much I was hurting you all these months. I'm so sorry if you ever thought you weren't important to me…if you ever doubted my love for you. I came back because of you, our daughter is alive because of you," I tell her while holding her face up so she looks into my eyes. _

_The look of surprise on her face is undeniable. "Sophia, she is a fighter. That's why she is alive…she's just like her mama, one tough cookie. I don't know where you get the idea that I have anything to do with…" she tries to say, but I cut her off. _

_"Arizona," I say, "You can try and deny it all you want, but I've heard what happened when Sophia was born. The nurses, Teddy, Bailey…hell, everyone-even Mark, thinks what you did was so courageous. I think you are so amazingly courageous for stepping in and doing what no one else knew how to do. If that we me in the OR, I don't think I could have held it together to save my own child's life. You are amazing." _

_Arizona is crying again, her head hung low as she tries to dismiss the comments. "I did what had to be done Calliope, there was no other choice. They weren't saving her, she would have…I had to do something," she says while wiping away fresh tears. I grab her hand and lace our fingers together, pulling her close to me. _

_"You know what I think?" I ask. "I think Sophia felt the way I do…that nobody can make it better, except for you. All you had to do was touch her to bring her back. You're the reason both our hearts are still beating, you know? I can't imagine how I would have made it through all of this without you…I'm not sure I would have. And I know it's not over, and I'm worried as hell about our little girl going under the knife…but we will get through this, as long as we're together. Ok? I know you've been trying to stay strong and take care of me, but I can take care of you too. It's ok to be worried, to feel overwhelmed with all of this, to cry…as long as you tell me your worried, let me be overwhelmed with you, cry in my arms." _

_At my last statement, she flings herself into my arms and lays her head on my chest. We both let the tears fall freely, as we discuss what Sophia's surgery will mean for her and for us. Arizona calls Teddy and she stops back in on her way out of the hospital, letting us know the details of the procedure that she will be doing with Dr. Stark. Arizona is less than happy about Stark being in on the surgery, but we all know she can't do it herself and there has to be a pediatric surgeon involved. _

_"I'll talk to Karev," Arizona says. "He'll make sure that Stark doesn't make any mistakes and will come get me right away if anything goes wrong." Teddy assures us that she will do her best to make sure our little girl is alright, then heads home to get some rest before tomorrow's surgery. _

_We sit in silence for a few minutes, taking in all the information from Teddy and praying for everything to go well the next day. As if she can read my mind, Arizona gets up off the bed and grabs a wheelchair from across the hall. _

_"Come on Callie, let's go see our little girl." I love her so much in this moment. Arizona wheels me down to the NICU, checking with the nurse to see if anyone is in with Sophia. She informs us that Dr. Sloan left for the night about 10 minutes ago. _

_"Oh no, Mark…we didn't tell him about the surgery," I say. _

_Arizona puts her hand on my shoulder and says, "I made sure Teddy came to talk to him, let him know what was happening." _

_Arizona then opens the door to the NICU and wheels me right up to Sophia. She opens the hole in the side of her incubator so I can hold her hand, then pulls a chair up on the other side and does the same. I look at her holding our daughter's tiny fingers and fall even more in love with her. I can tell she loves that baby as if she carried her herself, that even if we have 10 more kids she will never think of Sophia as anything less than hers. _

_"She's so beautiful," Arizona whispers, her voice cracking with emotion. "She like a mini version of you…she's miraculous, breathtakingly stunning. I just can't stop looking at her." _

_I nod my head in agreement, as I look at our little miracle and pray that God lets us keep her. I try and keep my mind off of all the horrible possibilities this surgery could bring, and just enjoy the moment with my two girls. Arizona and I sit with Sophia for two hours, until the NICU nurses finally kick us out. We say goodbye to our daughter, knowing this might me the last time we see her. _

_"Your mommy and I love you very much," I tell our baby girl. _

_Arizona escorts me back to my room, where we sleep together in my bed again, just holding one another and praying for our little girl. _

**Chapter 5**

**Arizona's POV:**

Morning comes before either one of us are really ready, but I make sure to get up early so I can have some time with Calliope before I have to head down to the surgery. I feel like I've been living in this hospital for weeks now…oh wait, I have.

I've gone home a handful of times to grab the mail and get some of our things. I tried to sleep there one night, but I just couldn't be home while my two girls were in the hospital. It just didn't feel right. And even though she won't admit it, Callie is glad I can't sleep without her anymore. Actually, so am I. After almost losing the love of my life, I will be eternally grateful for every moment I spend with my beautiful Calliope…and our beautiful daughter, that's if everything goes well today.

"The surgery has to go well," I think I say to myself.

Apparently, the words actually came out of my mouth because before I even realize she's awake, Callie whispers, "It has to go well Arizona, it just has to. I need to have faith in God today, and faith in all of the doctors who are going to save our daughter."

I am glad that she is being optimistic this morning, it will help us both to start out with positive thoughts. I begrudgingly get out of bed and give Callie a loving kiss, wanting to convey a message of hope and love. She closes her eyes, pulling me to her so I can't go anywhere. We stayed with our heads pressed together for a moment, whispering I love you in between kisses. Just then there is a knock on the door. It's Mark. I am astounded that he actually knocked…guess that talk Callie had with him really paid off.

"Hey ladies," he says. "Sorry to interrupt, but Dr. Stark had a cancellation this morning, so he wants to bump up Sophia's surgery and do it in an hour."

I thank Mark for coming by and ask him to wait for me down in the Peds wing. He tells Callie everything will be alright, grabs an apple out of yet another get-well basket, and takes off.

I turn to Calliope, my poor worried mama and say, "I promise I will come back as soon as I can with an update on our girl. I know this is gonna be hard, but please try and stay calm. For me. Can you just try to stay calm for me? I really don't think I can handle worrying about both of you at the same time ever again." Callie nods her head and I can tell she will really _try_…but inevitably we are all going to be nervous this morning.

"If something should happen Arizona," she starts to say. I tell her not to think that way but she stops me by grabbing my hand. "Please, just let me finish," she says. "If something should go wrong…if you don't think she's gonna make it. Go to her, be with her…for me, for both of us. She needs to have someone with her if she goes." Hearing this from my Calliope is just breaking my heart and I am honestly at all loss for words.

"Mark…Mark is gonna be watching from the gallery," I say. "I'm sure he'll be the one who can get in there if something should happen. I mean, you know Stark already said he doesn't think of me as her mother."

Callie looks both disgusted and angry when I mention Stark's comment again, and she balls her hands up into tight fists. "Fuck Stark, Arizona!" she yells. "Fuck him, fuck Mark, fuck anyone who doesn't see you as her mother. They don't see what I see, they don't know how we feel. The weren't there every morning for a month while I puked in our bathroom. They weren't there the first time she kicked. They didn't kiss my belly every morning and whisper goodnight to her every night. You are her mother, and if God forbid something happens…a baby needs their mama, at least one of them. I don't care what you have to do to get to her, but _you _need to be with her."

Callie is sobbing now, all the anger being replaced with sadness and fear. I rush to her, sitting her down on the bed and gathering her up into my arms. I hold her so close, trying to make it all better. But I can't, neither one of us will be better until we know Sophia is safe and healthy. I glance at the clock and see that I really need to go.

"I have to go now Callie," I whisper as I pull myself away from her. She looks into my eyes, giving me a passionate kiss followed by a gentle one.

"The first one is for you, my love. The second one is for our little girl," she explains. I hug her and then quickly leave the room, before I never gain the courage to do this.

Once I get down to the NICU, I see Teddy waiting outside the room with Alex and Kepner. "Hey," I say mostly to Teddy, but everyone says hello back. I can tell no one really wants to look at me.

"Dr. Stark is just doing a quick vitals check before we go scrub in," Teddy informs me. I take the opportunity to see Sophia, cautiously approaching her. The last thing I want to do today is piss off Stark.

"Dr. Stark? How are her vitals today?" I ask.

"Fine, Dr. Robbins. Baby's vitals are fine," he says. "We are going to proceed with the surgery as planned. Is there something you needed from me before I get to work on this?" he asks.

"No, no Dr. Stark…I was just hoping I could see her for a minute before you take her down to the OR," I say with trepidation, unsure of how he might react.

"Make it quick, I have a very busy schedule today," he replies with not an ounce of sympathy.

Instead of getting angry, I take a few deep breaths and thank him before I approach Sophia. Dr. Stark walks out of the NICU, telling the nurse to give me no more than two minutes.

"Hi Sophia sweetie," I say to our tiny baby. "You have to have surgery today…but don't worry, you're gonna do great…and then, then you will get better and stronger like your mama is…and then you can finally be with her. She is so amazing, just wait til you see. You are gonna fall so in love with your mama, just like I did. It's kind of impossible not to…she's so warm and caring and insanely beautiful, just like you. Sorry I am kinda rambling here…you'll see, I do that sometimes. Anyway, the nurse is coming to take you to the OR now…but don't you worry, me and your dad are gonna be close by…and I will be there if you need me. But you won't, you're gonna be just fine.."

I look down at this little angel and wish she knew how much I love her, how much Callie loves her. I kiss my hand twice, once for me and once for Callie, and rub Sophia's tiny hand one last time before leaving. I whisper, "I love you…your mama loves you," as the nurse wheels Sophia out of the NICU.

I decide to join Mark in the gallery and watch the surgery. I sit down next to him, silently letting him know that despite everything that's happened we are in this together…as parents. Teddy looks up every few minutes and nods to let me know things are going smoothly. After about 35 minutes, I decide to step outside and give Callie an update. I call her room and she answers before it even has time to ring. I tell her that everything is going well so far, and that I got to see the baby before the surgery. I can tell in her voice that this made her happy.

When I am done talking to Callie, I go back into the gallery but Mark is gone. I look down and see that he is in the OR. What happened? I run down there, scrubbing in quickly and grabbing a mask on my way in.

"What's going on?" I ask everyone.

Teddy and Stark are too busy working on Sophia, her blood pressure has dropped and she is on the verge of cardiac arrest. I don't know if I should step in or let them do their work without interrupting. I hold off, just make some suggestions and ask lots of questions as they try to save her. Mark stands in the back of the OR, pacing but not saying a word. I think about stepping in again, but hesitate as I can see Stark getting agitated with me. Sophia stops breathing and Teddy says she is unsure if she should open her back up or just try and do compressions to get her heart started back up.

"Compressions," I yell. "It's way to risky to open her back up right now. Plus, if you already corrected the defect…just do the compressions. Make sure you apply moderate pressure and…" I call out before Stark stops me.

"Out Robbins…now!" he yells. "Get the hell out of my OR. Do not tell Dr. Altman how to proceed. I am the surgeon on this case. I will make the decisions."

Mark leaves, saying he is going to go get the chief, which causes Stark to yell, "Go ahead, both of you…get out now!"

Normally, I would listen to my "boss" and just leave. But this is my daughter, I can't just walk out and hope Stark saves her. I gain the courage to stand up for myself and Sophia.

"No," I say in a quiet voice, afraid of the confrontation that I know is about to ensue. Stark turns and looks at me in disbelief. Teddy gives me a look that encourages me to continue fighting for my daughter…makes me feel better, guess I am not being totally irrational by doubting Stark. I continue to say, "No, no I will not leave this room until I know my daughter is alright. Now stop worrying about me and save her, or I will!"

I see the anger in Stark's eyes and I expect that he is gonna let me have it, right there in front of everyone. However, I am surprised when instead her turns to me and says, "You know what Dr. Robbins? Be my guest…here, go ahead and try to save this kid. I wish you luck because that's what you are gonna need. I didn't think this kid would make it through the week, let alone the repair Dr. Altman just performed. Face it Dr. Robbins, this kid you want so desperately to claim as your own…Torres and Sloan's kid, she was born way too early to survive all this. She doesn't stand a chance."

When he finishes his little tirade, I contemplate whether I should stab him with a scalpel or just beat the crap out of him with my bare hands. Just as I am ready to pounce on his cruel and ruthless ass, Karev steps in and hold me back. Stark takes off his gloves and mask, throwing them in the waste container on his way out. Mark comes back in after seeing Stark leave and asks me if I still want him to get the chief. I tell him no, there's no time…I can handle this.

I take a deep breath, shrugging off Stark's comments for now because I have to have a clear head to give my best to Sophia. I approach the table and see Calliope's tiny twin…it takes me a second to regain my composure when I see so much of my lover in our beautiful child. I ask Mark to leave…this will be hard enough to do without him watching my every move. He hesitates at first, but agrees to go back to the gallery.

I close my eyes and quickly snap out of Mom mode and become a world class pediatric surgeon again. Teddy briefs me on her current status and what she has been doing during the past few minutes while I was having it out with Stark.

"Compressions don't seem to be working on their own," she informs me. "Her oxygen levels dropped during the surgery, and now her heart rate is steadily decreasing."

I survey the situation and realize that she may be experiencing fluid build-up around her heart from the surgery and ask Teddy if she thinks this could be causing the cardiac arrest. She says it's definitely possible and we decide on using a catheter to drain the fluid. Alex gets us all the equipment we need and we are about to begin when suddenly Cristina comes flying into the OR. Of course, during my daughter's surgery Teddy gets called out on an emergency and I have to do a heart procedure on Sophia without my cardiothoracic friend. Alex must sense my nervousness and tries to calm me down.

"Come on Dr. Robbins, we can do this," he says. We have done a heart catheter before…remember? Remember little Joey? You rocked that procedure…you can do this. Just pretend she's Joey…or some other kid that's not yours."

Alex was right, I had to treat Sophia like a patient so that I could do my best as a doctor. "Thank you Dr. Karev," I say with sincerity. "Let's begin."

About half an hour later, we are scrubbing out as the nurse returns Sophia to the NICU to be monitored. The catheter worked very well, removing all the excess fluid from around Sophia's heart which brought her heart rate and oxygen levels back up promptly. I am about to breathe a sigh of relief when I see Dr. Stark turning the corner.

Instead of relief, I find myself filled with renewed anger over his harsh words in the OR. I know I should just let it go….forget what he said…ignore my gut instinct. But I can't. Something snaps inside of me when I see him laughing with one of the nurses and I charge him like a raged bull. I am sure he didn't even see me coming when he felt the sting of my palm against his cheek. That's right, I hauled off and slapped Stark right in the face.

"How dare you?" I scream at him. "How dare you say those terrible things about an innocent little baby. You're supposed to be a doctor…a pediatrician no less. You're supposed to save children…to want them to live through the surgeries you perform. What you said about Sophia was…was just…I've never heard a fellow pediatrician speak that way about a patient. You were giving up on her already…giving up on that beautiful little girl. My little girl, Dr. Stark."

At this point, everyone in the Peds wing is focused on the scene I am causing. And for first time in my life, I honestly don't care. I continue my crazy rant, this time looking at both Stark and the small crowd that has formed around us.

"No matter what anyone thinks…that _is_ my little girl. And my daughter…_my_ daughter, she deserves nothing but the best doctor treating her. And that is not you Dr. Stark. Stay the hell away from my baby or I promise you…not only will you face me again, you'll be facing a lawsuit."

I've been screaming for so long without taking a breath that I feel physically weak. I know I am gonna lose it any minute, and I think this little crowd has seen enough for today. I maintain my composure as I round the corner towards the exit…I'm almost there, I can feel the tears beginning to well up in my eyes. Just as I open the supply room door to unravel myself in solitude, I hear a soft voice behind me whisper, "Go ahead, let it out baby."

"Calliope…what are you doing here?" I ask, unsure of how she is here at this exact moment.

"Mark came and told me that Sophia was out of surgery," she explains. "He also told me that Stark wasn't do his job to help her, so you kicked him out and saved our baby again. Even though I knew you would be mad at me for breaking the rules and leaving my room, I thought that I should come and find you…so I could tell you how absolutely amazing I think you are, how much I love you. But then…then I see you slap Stark in the face and go completely nuts on his ass. I'm just so surprised, I've never seen you act that way before. There were so many people watching and you just kept going…the whole hospital is gonna be talking about this one, you know?"

I haven't been able to look at Callie since she closed the supply room door behind us…I don't want her to see me when I'm such a complete and utter mess right now. Plus, after everything she just said…well, I'm afraid she might not want to look at me anyway. I just caused a major scene in the hospital where we both work….the hospital where she and our daughter are being cared for at the moment. Oh my God, I've let her down again. You're such an ass Arizona, I think to myself. What the hell was I thinking behaving that way. Truth is, I wasn't thinking. I was just feeling…acting on impulse, trying to protect my family. God, I hope Callie can forgive me for this.

"I'm so sorry Callie," I say. "I know I shouldn't have caused such a scene….I didn't mean to embarrass you. I'll fix it Cal, I promise. Please don't be mad at me, I don't think I can take anymore," I finish before a cry escapes my mouth again.

Then I feel her hands on my shoulders, lightly shaking me to get my attention. I still don't want to look at her, but she lifts my chin up so I don't have a choice. What I see when I finally look into her eyes is not what I had expected at all. Those big, beautiful chocolate eyes…they are filled with tears, and with love.

"I am so in love with you Arizona Robbins," Callie tells me in a tone that makes my heart skip a beat. "What you did back there…it was, it was amazing. You are amazing. Defending and protecting Sophia like that, standing up to Stark in front of the whole hospital. I'm not embarrassed Arizona, I'm proud…so proud of you, so proud to be with you…so unbelievably proud that you are my baby's mother and that you're going to be my wife."

At this last statement, I am crying all over again…happy tears this time though. Callie wraps her arms around me and I know all of it was worth it. I have the woman I love in my arms, our daughter is safe and sound in the NICU, and everything else will fall into place.

After a few moments in her embrace, I pull back to look at Callie again. There is no need for words anymore, everything has been said that needed to be. We just stare into each other's eyes for a while, silently expressing love and compassion. I've waited my whole life to feel this way about someone…to feel so connected to another human being that words are not necessary, that a simple look or a touch can convey powerful messages. I decide I need the touch too, so I lace my fingers through Callie's and pull her back into me. She willingly lets her body press into mine, then looks into my eyes again before kissing me with so much passion that it takes my breath away. I return the kiss many times, making sure she knows that I feel the same way. Eventually I pull back again and whisper, "Come on…let's go check on our little girl."

**Chapter 6**

**Callie's POV:**

This was it…the day I had longed for since I woke up and realized I was gonna be stuck in this hospital for a long time. Yes, it had been a long time. 27 days…God, that's almost a month. Last week I finally got permission to leave my room to visit Sophia in the NICU or grab a cup of real coffee from the coffee cart…last week Derek said they were testing me to see if I was ready to be released. Well, I guess I passed the test.

I looked around at the hospital room that had become my home for the past month, wondering how it would feel to sleep in my own comfy bed…take a long hot shower without being interrupted…cook myself a delicious, hot meal. Obviously, all of that sounded really good…but something felt wrong. Leaving Sophia felt wrong. We all knew she had another 4-6 weeks of recovery before she could even have a chance of leaving the hospital…and while I was anxious to get home, I desperately wished she was coming with us. Luckily, our apartment is only across the street. We can get to Sophia at a moment's notice, and we all agreed that one of us will be on Sophia duty at all times. Mark is working tonight, so he will make sure our daughter is ok while I settle in at home for the first night. I know Arizona hasn't been home much this past month either, so it will be nice for her to sleep in our bed and get some real rest too.

I keep reminding myself of all the reasons going home should be a good thing, but every time I think I am starting to feel better about it, I think about Sophia. No mom wants to come home without her baby. I feel the sadness start to seep in again when suddenly a beautiful angel appears and tells me everything is going to be alright, putting her arms around me from behind and placing a sweet kiss to my shoulder. This beautiful angel happens to be my fiancé now…my fiancé who I think I have somehow managed not only to _fix_ my relationship with during this tragedy, but actually make it better. Somehow we've managed to fall even more in love with one another…and completely head over heals for our little girl.

"Sophia," I say, not needing to clarify my worrisome thoughts on her remaining in the NICU.

"I know Calliope," Arizona says with both sympathy and understanding. "I know, but we will both be better and stronger for her if we actually rest at home…plus, there may or may not be a very big surprise waiting for you at home. In case that motivates you, even just a little," she says with a twinkle in her eye.

God, I love this woman. I finish packing up my things and sit at the edge of the bed, waiting for Bailey to return with my discharge papers. When she finally drops them off and gives me the big lecture about taking care of myself, not spending too much time here in the NICU, getting enough sleep, remembering to take all of my medications…and so on and so on…I can't help but hug her and promise to be a good girl. Both she and Arizona laugh at this comment.

"Alright, enough you two. Come on Arizona….let's say goodnight to Sophia and go home." At this statement, Arizona flashes a genuine super magic smile my way. At least I have made her happy today.

We spend about an hour in the NICU with Sophia, telling her how we'll be right across the street in case she needs us and promising to come back first thing in the morning. She is looking less fragile everyday…she is now getting the neonatal feeding solution every 4 hrs, which has helped her gain 3 ½ ounces this week. Overall, she has gained almost one full pound since birth…they said she will start gaining faster now and hope she will gain another 2 to 3 pounds over the next month.

Because of the complication with her heart surgery a few weeks ago, they are keep Sophia on the ventilator for another couple of days….after that, we can finally hold her. Arizona leans down to the isolette and tells her all about this, how we can't wait to finally hold her and kiss her. I have to admit that as much as I want to hold my baby girl, I think seeing Arizona hold her will be life changing for me. I'm pretty sure it will be life changing for her too. I sit there holding Sophia's hand, daydreaming about the future with my two girls, until the NICU nurse comes in and says it's time for everyone to leave.

We say our goodbyes to our sweet baby and head home. Walking across the street hand in hand, I smile as I glance over at Arizona. She is smiling so big, I'm not really sure why…but it's beautiful.

We take our time walking home…I haven't had this much fresh air in what seems like forever, and I am really enjoying it. I can tell Arizona is enjoying it too by the way she inhales deeply, as if she is truly soaking up the fresh air. It's very cute, the way she closes her eyes and smiles as she breathes in. I can't stop looking at her as we meander down the sidewalk towards our apartment building.

She sees me out of the corner of her eye and flashes me another one of those super magic smiles. "What?" she asks, pretending not to know why I am gazing at her. "I'm happy right now…is that such a crime?"

I smile back at her as we enter the building, waiting for the elevator to take us up to our place. "Not a crime…not at all. Although seeing you smile like that could get me into a lot of trouble if I'm not careful," I tease.

She winks and smiles again, fidgeting with the key like she's never used it before. "What's wrong, Arizona…your surgeon hands failing you. Maybe you should have spent more time in the OR this past month, and less time hovering over me."

At this comment, she feigns anger and I feel a gentle nudge from her elbow in my arm. "I didn't hover over you Calliope," she insists. "I can't remember the last time I hovered over you. It definitely has been way too long…and it definitely did not happen in that hospital room."

If she was trying to make me blush, she has succeeded. For the first time since maybe the night she proved to me she was "all in," I feel like I could just explode with love and lust for this woman.

The pregnancy was hard…the morning sickness, the lack of caffeine, all the arguments between her and Mark, feeling insecure about my body and weight…plus, there was a part of me that was still afraid to give myself completely to her again for fear that she would bail. I couldn't have been more wrong about her, and I only wish I could go back in time and make the last six months different. But that's not how life works…all I can do now is move forward and make sure I show her everyday how much I adore her. I look up into her eyes as she finally gets the door opened, then lean in to kiss her.

"I love you very much, Arizona. In case you didn't know. I just…I love you so very much and I am so incredibly happy to be coming home with_ you_."

She stares at me for a moment before grabbing my face and kissing me passionately. "I love you too…now, come on," she says, dragging me into our place.

What I see before me as we enter our apartment brings me to tears. "Oh Callie," Arizona whispers.

I just stand there amazed at our home…at this woman. "How?" I ask her. "How did you manage to do all this? You've been at the hospital night and day, with me or Sophia all the time. No wonder you didn't get any rest."

Blinking back her own tears, Arizona explains. "Well, I actually didn't _do_ most of it…I mean, I planned it and picked everything out…I just hired people to _do_ most of it, so I could be with you and the baby."

I shut her up with a kiss, then look around again in amazement. The whole apartment has obviously been professionally cleaned, evidenced by the sparkling windows and shiny wood floors. The walls have been finished…we started painting them a light blue before Africa, then we couldn't finish when Arizona came back because I was pregnant. Our old mismatched couches have been reupholstered in the fabric I had circled in a magazine months ago…I am astounded that she remembered that. There are pictures hung up everywhere…of our families, of us together, and even one of Sophia.

"Arizona, this picture…where, how did you take this? She doesn't have any tubes or wires…aside from being so tiny, she looks like any other newborn baby."

Arizona beams looking at the picture. "I took it one morning when they were changing her from the first incubator to the larger one. They had to remove all her equipment to transfer her and I thought it would be nice to have a picture of Sophia without all the other stuff. But since I don't usually have a camera in my back pocket, I ran…well skated, myself down to the gift shop and spend an enormous amount of money on a disposable camera. I hope you like it…and I hope it's ok that I put it next to the picture of Danny…I thought it would be nice cause I dunno, I keep thinking maybe he's been with me through all of this, that he's been looking down on you and Sophia for me, maybe putting in a good word with God so that I got to keep my girls."

Her rambling never ceases to delight me…it's one of the many things about her I find endearing.

"Are you done?" I ask in a playful tone so she know I am not really upset about her little ramble. She nods, laughing a bit nervously.

"Good," I continue, "because now it's my turn to say something. This…all of this, our home…it's so amazing that you did all of this, or had it all done or whatever. It's so amazing because it's still our old place, but it's new…I don't ever want to forget the things that have happened here in the past….good or bad, those things have gotten us to where we are today. But still, it's nice to have a fresh start…as a family this time. And this place…it feels good now, better than ever because I think for the first time it really feels like its _ours_…_our_ home. And the only thing that will make it even better is having Sophia here with us…and that _will _happen, hopefully really soon."

Arizona is crying what I'm pretty sure are happy tears, and says "Now who's the one rambling?" We both laugh, then she gives me another one of those smiles and I just melt. I walk across the room to her, pulling her into me and hugging her with every ounce of strength I've got. We stay locked in our embrace for a while, just enjoying the feeling of each other's arms. I whimper a little in a mock protest when Arizona breaks our hug and drags me to our bedroom. Quickly, I feel the temperature rise within my body…just the thought of getting into bed with her makes me hot. She must see the lust in my eyes and laughs.

"Not yet Calliope," she says. "Your surprise is far from over."

Intrigued as I am, I can't get the image of a naked Arizona out of my mind. However, when she opens our bedroom door to reveal another makeover, I quickly get my head out of the gutter. She didn't change too much in here, which I am glad about…our bedroom has always felt like a place of love and peace to me. Even times when we were struggling, arguing with one another…we always came to bed together and found solace in each others arms.

Everything is the same, except that the bassinet we picked out is put together and set up right next to the bed. And there is a beautiful rocking chair in the corner of the room…a blanket draped over the back of it and a giant stuffed bunny propped up in the middle. I take the bunny out of the chair and sit, rocking gently while I imagine our little baby in my arms.

"Where did you get this chair?" I ask Arizona. "It looks like an antique…it's so beautiful."

She explains that it was her grandmother's chair that had been passed down to her mom…apparently when Barbara heard that Sophia was born, she sent it with a note telling Arizona not to worry-that one day she would rock our daughter in this chair, just as she had rocked Arizona and Danny.

"Oh Arizona…I love it, all of it. Most of all, I love you…for doing this, I just can't believe how beautiful everything is."

She summons me over to her, giving my a quick kiss, then whispers in my ear, "Wait til you see the nursery."

My jaw drops as I realize that there is still more to come. I grab her hand and race across the living room to the door that I now notice has Sophia's name on it. I smile brightly, running my fingers over the letters. Arizona opens the door, revealing the warmest and most precious nursery I have ever seen. The whole thing is painted like a woodland forest…with trees and flowers…little baby animals…some fairies. It's absolutely gorgeous…so not what I would have picked, and I am so glad I didn't have the chance.

Arizona looks at me, unsure of my reaction and says, "If you don't like it, we can change it…I know it's nothing like the nurseries you circled in the magazines. But, but I…I looked through all of the magazines again and none of those nurseries seemed right. Then one night I was reading Sophia a book about these magical woodland fairies…and the illustrations were so beautiful…and she seemed so content when I was reading to her…and I know even when we get her home, we'll have to be really careful about taking her out for a while…and she's spent so much time cooped up in a hospital,…I just thought at least her room could feel like the outdoors, like a magical forest for our magical little girl."

"You read to her?" is all I can say, the tears flowing from my eyes. Arizona nods her head and is about to continue her long-winded rant again, saying "Yes, it's proven that children who are read to are smarter, more creative, better list…"

I've had about all I can take. I stop her with a very forceful kiss, holding her head in my hands. "You are amazing, Arizona Robbins. All of this is amazing. I love it…Sophia will love it, it's perfect."

She kisses me back, then proceeds to show me what looks like hundreds of preemie outfits, all washed in hypoallergenic soap, ready to be worn when Sophia gets home. This all seems like a dream to me…a wonderful dream.

We spend the rest of the evening unpacking our things from the hospital, making dinner together, and just talking about Sophia and what it will be like to have her home. I don't want to ruin our night by bringing up Mark, but I also don't want Arizona to feel left out of any decisions anymore either.

With trepidation I say, "So, Mark and I were talking yesterday about things." Arizona looks nervous, so I grab her hand to reassure her.

"About Sophia and how this is going to work with three parents. So, we kind of discussed this before the accident, but I was thinking that we would keep her pretty much full time for a while…I mean, I am going to be breastfeeding and just…well, I don't know about spending any nights without her just yet. I've already had to do that, not sure I'm gonna want to again if I have a choice. But Mark should get some time with her too…and I definitely don't want him here all the time…I mean, he can visit a few times a day if we ok it first. And I thought it would be nice if he kept her home with him during his days off…you can too, I mean if you want to. Of course I would like that, don't want her to be in the hospital daycare more than she has to be. Oh, and the chief granted me extended maternity leave, so that should be good for Sophia too. I know, I'm rambling again…you're rubbing off on me way too much," I say when I see the bewildered look on Arizona's face.

"Calm down Calliope." she says. "It's alright, everything is gonna work out fine. Mark and I are….better, and we will be fine when it comes to Sophia. He's her dad, we have to discuss him sometimes. I get it. And I think everything you said sounds good. We should definitely keep her overnight for a while…I mean, I'm sure she would be fine with Mark but I'd rather have her here too. And I most definitely will want her home with me the days I am off, at least then I'll have one of my girls all to myself. Oh, and I am getting maternity leave too…can't get as much as you because I didn't actually give birth, but the chief fought hard and made them at least give me what they will give Mark for paternity leave. So I figured I could take my two weeks after he does, that way she will get a whole extra month home before we even have to worry about the daycare."

When Arizona finishes, I just look at her in awe. Then, instead of using words to express my love for her, I decide it's time I show her how I feel.

I take her hands in mine, leading her back to our bedroom. I leave her there momentarily, running back to lock the front door. When I return, she has that bewildered look on her face again. I give her the best explanation I can by slowly removing my shirt, one button at a time. She swallows hard and asks me if I think this is a good idea.

Again, I answer her without words as I unbutton my pants and let them fall around my ankles. I then remove my bra and panties, tossing them aside as I look into her eyes from across the room. I trace my fingers along the scar on my stomach, feeling a little self conscious about my body after being pregnant and undergoing surgery. Arizona must understand what I'm feeling because she quickly rids herself of her own clothing and makes her way across the room to me, where she copies the lines I just traced along my body with her fingers, then with her lips. It feels so good to have her touching me, kissing me like this. As she kisses her way up the length of my torso and chest to meet my lips, I can already feel the heat between my legs.

But I want to take this slow, make love to my fiancé , let her know she is cherished. I open my lips and let her tongue slide into my mouth, slowly and sensuously kissing her while my hands caress her. A moan escapes her lips as I slide my hands down further and grab her ass. She is obviously turned on too because I can feel some moisture already as I tease her inner thigh with my fingers. We move towards the bed, frantically backing up until Arizona's legs hit the mattress. I gently lay her down and slide into bed beside her so that we are facing one another. She kisses me in a way I've never been kissed before…it's a kiss that shows me how much she loves me, a kiss that says forever_. I kiss her back, trying to relay the same message, when I notice she is crying. _

_"Arizona, baby what's wrong?" I ask. _

_She wipes a stray tear and whispers, "I just…I didn't know if I would ever get to do this again. But you lived…you lived for me…and your home…and your healthy and so beautiful…and I am so in love with you and…" _

_I kiss her again, all over…her mouth first, then her cheeks, her chin, her eyes…kiss away those tears. _

_"Shut up and make love to me Arizona," I say with a hint of laughter. _

_She smiles that gorgeous smile and pulls me to her. We take it slow, kissing and caressing every inch of one another's bodies. Finally, I tell Arizona I need her…need her inside of me, need to be inside of her. We become one and make love over and over again. I haven't felt this alive since God knows when. _

_After hours of this bliss, we are both physically and emotionally exhausted. Arizona lays her head down on my chest, placing her hand on my strong, beating heart. "Welcome home Calliope," she whispers as we drift off to sleep. _

**Chapter 7**

**Arizona's POV:**

It has been five weeks since Calliope came home from the hospital…five weeks of healing, five weeks of time alone, five weeks of love-making…these past five weeks have been a blessing. The biggest blessing of all, however, has been Sophia's progress.

Since Callie was released from the hospital, we have both been able to spend more time with our little girl. Callie spent all day, everyday in that NICU, leaving just to grab a bit to eat or go to her own checkups. And even though I have returned to work, the chief has given both Mark and I a very light schedule so we could spend time with Sophia…plus, I haven't been running back and forth between two different sections of the hospital. When I wanted to see my daughter, her mama was usually there…when I wanted to see my Calliope, I got to see Sophia too.

All in all, these past five weeks have been good for everyone…especially Sophia. I started to see a major difference in her recovery about a week after Callie came home. I truly believe that the constant connection, both physically and emotionally, to her mother is what's made the difference. Some people say it's carrying a child inside of you that creates that instant connection…maybe someday I will find out. Doesn't matter though because I felt the bond with Sophia from the moment I laid eyes on her…the moment I got her tiny heart to start beating. Being her mother is amazing…watching Callie be her mother is simply awe inspiring. She is such a natural, like she was put on earth to be a mama.

For the rest of my life, I will never forget the day that Sophia come off the ventilator and we got to hold her for the first time. It was about three weeks ago. Dr. Stark resigned, giving me my old job as Head of Pediatrics back. The first thing I did was assign Alex to Sophia's case. I knew he would take the best care of her and felt comfortable putting my child's life in his hands. So about three weeks ago, Karev pages me to the NICU. Of course, I am in a panic when I run into the room. But he quickly reassures me that everything is alright and points down to Sophia, breathing in and out like any other baby without the machines.

I call Callie and tell her to get her ass down to the NICU before I get to hold Sophia first. The woman must have ran full force because she was literally in the hospital in under two minutes. I make sure Alex pages Mark too…he had a right to be there. I may never _love_ Mark Sloan, but he has been much easier to deal with lately and has proven himself to be a dedicated father. When we were all assembled, Alex removed Sophia from the isolette and gently placed her into Callie's loving arms. Our tiny little girl looked so content…as did her mama, Callie's eyes beaming with pride and joy as she held our little bundle. Then, the most amazing thing happened. For the first time, Sophia opened her eyes…she opened her eyes and looked right up into her mama's. It was the most beautiful moment I had ever experienced in my life.

Callie and I were both crying, exchanging glances of wonder and amazement every now and then. After about an hour, Callie finally decided that she should share. I motioned for Mark to take a seat, figuring he would want his turn.

I have to say I was rather surprised when both he and Callie said in unison, "No." I looked at Callie who said, kind of to me and kind of to Mark, "Moms always get the baby first."

Mark nodded in agreement. "Yeah blondie, she's right. You go first…I'm gonna go grab a snack and I'll be back in a bit."

I almost fell over…not only was Mark letting me hold the baby first, he was allowing me to enjoy the moment with just Callie.

"Thanks Mark…really," I said as he left the NICU.

Callie stood up with Sophia in her arms, giving me the rocking chair to sit in. I quickly sat, arms stretched our for my baby girl. I've held babies, plenty of babies, even preemies like Sophia…but nothing had ever felt more fragile and precious than this little girl in my arms.

I fell so in love with my mini Calliope that day, rocking her gently in the chair and stroking her beautiful black hair. And I didn't think it was possible, but I fell even more in love with her mama too. Sitting in that chair with Sophia, seeing the love and happiness on Callie's face…gave me butterflies and goose bumps and a feeling of elation I had never experienced before. Guess that's what they call parenthood. I thank God every day now for giving me the chance to experience this…for letting a beautiful woman capture my heart and change my mind about becoming a mother…for letting that beautiful woman and our beautiful child survive a tragedy…for filling our lives with strength, and hope, and love.

**Callie's POV:**

"I never thought I could fall in love with a woman, let alone two women," I tell Arizona, as I look down lovingly at our beautiful daughter.

Today is the day we have been praying for over the past two and half months. Today, we are taking our baby home. After she came off the ventilator and started having regular feeding for a while, I was able to stop pumping and actually get Sophia to nurse off of me. She took to it right away, and I have to admit there is a crazy bond that happens with breastfeeding. Gives me a connection to her that no one else can share…which is kind of good because I am pretty sure Arizona is her favorite already.

Don't get me wrong, Sophia loves us all. When she is awake and alert, Mark seems to hold her interest by talking to her about sports and walking her around so she can see the world. When she's hungry or sleepy, she seeks me out…for obvious reasons, but also because I think she knows I like to snuggle. But when she's fussy or something is bothering her…no one will do except her mommy. Arizona's voice seems to be the only sound she wants to her when she is in distress. I say it's because she remembers the day she was born and knows her mommy can fix anything, can make it all better….Arizona says I'm nuts. But no one can deny the bond between them. When Arizona holds her, Sophia instantly calms down and seems to listen intently to whatever it is she is saying. Watching the two of them together is just amazing…it's my dream come true. And that dream is about to get even better because we get to go home…all of us, as a family.

I sign the discharge papers and hand them back to the NICU nurse, then turn to Arizona and ask if she's ready. She's got Sophia all wrapped up in her swaddle blanket, an adorable pink knit hat on her teeny head. Even though she is almost ten weeks old, she still only weighs 4 pounds 3 ounces. Granted, that's a vast improvement from her birth weight. It's crazy to think that if we never got into the accident, Sophia still wouldn't be born for maybe another six weeks. Suddenly, I start to feel nervous about bringing her home and caring for her with all of her health complications.

"Maybe we should check her vitals and oxygen levels one more time before we go," I say to Arizona.

I guess both her and Mark sense my nervousness because they exchange a look that says "calm her down."

Mark tries to put his two cents in first by saying, "Come on Cal, Blondie here is a world class pediatric surgeon…and she lives with you, she'll know if something is wrong with Sophia."

I know that statement was supposed to make me feel better, but the panic rising inside causes me to yell at him.

"Why would something be wrong with her Mark? If you think something is wrong, maybe we should just keep her here for a while longer."

Arizona just shakes her head, passing the baby to Mark and pulling me into the hallway.

"Listen Calliope," she says in a calm, loving tone. "We can do this, we really can take care of her on our own. Sophia is healthy now and we will be bringing her in every week for checkups to make sure she stays that way. Plus, I may or may not have _borrowed_ an oxygen monitor so we can check her before she goes down for the night. Which, is only gonna be a few hours at a time still…and we'll take turns getting up to feed her, or just check on her…will that make you feel better? I'll set my damn beeper every hour if that will make you feel better," she says with compassion.

I take a few deep breaths and say, "I love you…and you're right. I'm just scared something will go wrong, but I can't be scared forever. Sophia doesn't want to stay here forever…so let's go, let's go take our daughter home."

We walk back into the NICU, and I take Sophia from Mark while he grabs all of her stuff. When we approach the main lobby, all of our friends are there to cheer us on. They congratulate us on this special day, saying their goodbyes to the little lady who has won over all their hearts the past few months.

We walk across the street to our apartment building, telling Sophia about everything we pass on the way. We get settle in at home, showing Sophia her room and all of the many gifts people have sent for her.

Mark goes to pick up a pizza while I nurse the baby. I sit in the old rocking chair in our room, singing a Spanish lullaby to Sophia….yes, coming home was definitely a good idea. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Arizona standing in the doorway. Her eyes are filled with tears, but I can tell they are the good kind.

"Good to be home, huh Sophia?" she says.

Even from across the room, those blue eyes seem to penetrate my soul. She keeps staring at me, occasionally looking down at the baby and smiling.

"You look so beautiful nursing her like that…I never imagined you looking so beautiful just by feeding a baby," she says. I blush a little at this comment.

"And you look beautiful just standing there doing nothing," I reply, returning the smile without any effort.

Our little moment is interrupted when Mark returns, yelling "delivery" from outside our door. "I'll go let him in," Arizona says as she rolls her eyes playfully. "You finish feeding our little peanut, then we'll feed you."

I finish up with Sophia and join Mark and Arizona for dinner. We take turns passing the baby around the table while we eat, everyone reluctant to put her down just yet. When we are finished eating, I glance at the clock and realize it's almost eight already. Mark takes the hint surprisingly well, asking to have Sophia for a few minutes before he leaves for the night. Arizona and I wash the dishes, giving him a few minutes alone with the baby.

He talks to Sophia loud enough for us to hear, saying, "Now be a good girl for your mommies…don't get up too many times tonight…and remind them that your dad is just across the hall if they need a break."

I turn around and smile at him, letting him know I appreciate the offer. After another couple minutes, Mark carries the baby over to Arizona and says, "Here you go mom, good luck on your first night guys. Goodnight Sophia, see you tomorrow." I walk Mark to the door and say goodnight, locking and turning off the lights.

Arizona has already migrated to our bedroom with the baby, a freshly pumped bottle in hand.

"That's ok babe," I tell her. "I can just feed her again."

She shakes her head and replies, "No Calliope, let me feed her this time. I'm sure you'll be up feeding her a lot tonight, it will give you a break…plus, I kind of want to do it. If that's ok."

How could I ever say no to this woman…this amazing woman who has changed her whole life for me and Sophia…the woman who is more than embracing motherhood after never wanting children.

"How did you not know?" I ask her, watching her feed our daughter in awe.

"Know what?" she asks in return.

My eyes well up a little as I state what seems so obvious to me. "How did you not know that you would be an amazing mother? I mean, a year ago we stood in the ambulance bay together…and you said you never thought you were cut out to be a mom. Why on earth did you think that? I mean, seeing you with her…it just seems so crazy to me."

Arizona takes a deep breath, looking away from me for a minute. When her eyes return to mine, they are filled with tears.

"I was scared Calliope…I still am scared to be honest. Having kids means worrying about them all the time…and I might worry about our kids more because I see children get sick or hurt everyday, because I lost my brother and know the kind of grief that's possible as a parent. Having kids means giving things up, being less selfish…changing as a person to become better for them. And all of that…well, that's terrifying to me."

Arizona wipes her tears, then looks down at Sophia again before staring straight into my heart with those blue eyes. She takes a deep breath and continues, "But you know what is even more terrifying? Getting on a plane to Africa without the love of my life, knowing I had just made a huge mistake. That's terrifying. Coming back and wondering if you would ever want me again, ever love me again. That's terrifying."

I have to interrupt her here. "I never stopped loving you Arizona," I say, just in case she didn't know that…I _need_ her to know that. I see a hint of a smile across her lips, but she rambles on. "Finding out that because I left you, you slept with someone else…thinking that I might not be the last person to kiss you, to touch you. That's terrifying. Seeing you lying on the hood of my car…watching your heart stop while everyone was working on you…being told you weren't responding…standing in the back of the OR while they operated on you and our daughter fought to live…knowing I could have lost you both. That's the most terrifying of all."

My heart breaks as she tells me all of this, partly because I hate to see her hurting and partly because I understand exactly how she feels. I am deep in thought when Arizona breaks the silence. "Say something, Calliope…I'm all alone out here," she whispers.

I gain the courage to finally tell her how I've been feeling all these months. "You're not alone Arizona," I reassure her. "I'm scared too…scared of so many things. Scared of the mistakes I've made in the past…scared of making mistakes in the future. When you left me at the airport, I was scared that I had lost the one true love of my life. In that moment, I had…you were gone and I couldn't breathe without you. I thought if I slept with Mark…a man, someone who was nothing like you…I thought that I could forget about you, at least for a little while. But I couldn't…the fact that he was nothing like you just made me miss you more. The meaningless sex with him paled in comparison to making love to you…so all it did was make me sad and lonely. And when I realized that screwing Mark didn't fix things this time, I was scared because I thought I might never get over you…never find happiness again. And then you came back…you came back for me. When I opened that door to find you standing there, all I wanted to do was hold you and kiss you and tell you it would all be ok. But I was petrified then, because I had slept with Mark and I knew that I would have to tell you…and I was so scared that I could forgive you, but that you would never forgive me for that. And then I found out I was pregnant and I lashed out at you because I was scared. Scared that this baby would ruin any chance we did have…scared that you wouldn't stick around to raise Mark Sloan's kid with me…but mostly scared because I didn't think I could do it without you. You were the reason I wanted kids in the first place…I wanted kids with you."

We are both a couple of blubbering fools at this point, tears streaming down both of our faces. Arizona gazes lovingly at our daughter again then starts to chuckle, and I ask her what is so funny. "The only one not crying right now is the baby," she says.

We crack up, letting the laughter come through the tears. Sophia is sound asleep in her mommy's arms, smiling a little in her sleep. I take the baby from Arizona and lay her down in the bassinet.

After this whole conversation, I need to hold my other baby. I grab Arizona and pull her out of the rocking chair, into a tight embrace. She clings to me so hard that I can literally feel her heart beating.

"Es el amor de mi vida…siempre que tengamos uno al otro, nosotros podemos hacer algo," I whisper in her ear. I know she can't understand my words when I speak to her in Spanish, but I think she understands I love her very much when I do.

She looks up into my eyes again, then pulls me in for a painfully slow kiss. I can taste the tears on her lips, and only want to kiss her more to make sure they are gone. We get lost in one another for a while, until the sound of our daughter's cry fills the air.

"Sophia," I say with every ounce of love and affection I have for her.

"She doesn't want to feel left out," Arizona jests, winking at me as she moves toward the bassinet.

We stand above our tiny little girl, gazing down at her together. "She really is perfect Calliope," Arizona says. "I can't imagine my life without her in it…no matter how scary being a parent might be at times, it's all worth it when I look at her."

I couldn't agree more and no longer resist the urge to hold our girl. I lift Sophia out of the bassinet and into my arms, singing her the Spanish lullaby my mama sang to me as a child. Arizona climbs into bed, pulling the covers back for me so I can get in. We snuggle together, Sophia stretched out in my arms…studying every little detail of her face, watching her every move.

"Welcome home little lady," I say to her. "Mommy and I are so glad you're finally here with us." Arizona leans down and gently kisses Sophia's head, then turns and kisses me. I am so in love with these two girls right now…and suddenly nothing seems scary at all.

**Chapter 8**

**Callie's POV:**

I have been home on maternity leave for seven weeks now…normally most new moms only get six, but with all that we've been through the chief offered me an extra two weeks. I have loved every minute with Sophia…watching her hold her head up, seeing her smile for the first time, getting to see her grow stronger every day. Since she's come home, she has gained almost three pounds, finally making her the size of a full-term newborn. I wonder if she will ever really catch up or if she will stay our little peanut forever. As long as she stays healthy, Arizona and I agree we don't care how big or small she is.

Sophia has been back to the hospital every week to get examined, and by some miracle of God she appears to developing normally for a preemie, without any physical or mental disabilities. Arizona, although she won't often admit it, checks her every day from head to toe. I tell her it looks like she's making Sophia try out for the preemie Olympics with all the rigorous tests she has her do…but I can tell Sophia is doing well when I see that super magic smile and hear Arizona say, "That's my girl…you are doing so good."

Seeing Arizona with her, being so loving and quite overprotective, is something. Although I haven't seen too much of Arizona these past few weeks. Her and Mark had light schedules for the first few weeks Sophia was home, but then we had to go back to the real world…which meant each of them returned to work full time. I never thought I would say this, but I can't wait to go back to work.

Like I said, I am enjoying the time with my daughter immensely…but she sleeps all day, giving me absolutely nothing to do and no one to do it with. Laundry…always done. House…immaculate. I'm making freakin' gourmet dinners every night because they take so long to cook… at least I can kill a few hours in the kitchen. I am bored out of my mind…about to break my own bones just to hear that sound again.

Every night, Arizona comes home from work and I make her tell me every detail of every case, every surgery she performed…make her tell me all the hospital gossip she overhears at lunch. I even have her bribing Karev with assisting duties on some of her surgeries if he goes to Ortho for me and checks up on the resident who is taking over my cases while I'm out. I know I am losing my mind…that's why I have got to go back to work. I'm sure both Arizona and Mark can tell how antsy I am, but I haven't actually come out and said it because…well, I feel guilty. All I wanted was this baby…and then she was born so early and went through so much…I should want to stay home and take care of her forever, right? I mean…I don't really want to be away from her. I just feel like I need to be a doctor too…to be myself too, not just a mom.

I am sitting, having this conversation with myself for probably the hundredth time, when I hear Arizona fumbling with her key in the door. I am so excited she is home…I run to the door and open it for her, practically knocking her over with the hug I give her.

"Whoa, whoa Cal," she says laughing. "Down girl."

I lightly swat her across the arm. "Hey, I'm just excited to see you. I missed you," I say, leaning in for a kiss.

Arizona steps back, dodging my welcome home kiss, enticing me to catch her as she maneuvers past me and heads straight for the nursery.

"I _do_ have a kiss for you," she says to Sophia, picking our daughter up and planting tons of sweet kisses all over her precious little face. "Mama is gonna have to wait until later," she says to Sophia while giving me a sideways glance.

"Tease," I reply, before wrapping my arms around her from behind and rubbing my cheek against hers.

"Mmm, I missed you too Calliope," Arizona says as she continues to love up the baby.

"I'm sorry I always bombard you as soon as you walk in the door…it's just, I'm bored.

"Ugh, can you believe that Sophia? Mama is calling you boring. She must be spending her days with some other baby, cause my little girl is the most amazing creature on the planet," Arizona says.

Instantly I feel that guilt coming on again and start to get defensive.

"I don't think she's boring Arizona…it's just I'm here without any adult interaction all day long while you get to go to work and be your awesome doctor self…saving lives and hearing all the juicy details about the latest on-call room affairs…and then you come home and you're tired and don't even wanna rehash your whole day with me, and by the time we eat and Sophia goes to bed it's late and we're both tired and…and I just miss you…and I miss me."

I didn't realize that I was getting progressively louder until I practically yell the last part, causing Arizona to back away from me slightly with Sophia still in her arms. I know I just overreacted and feel guilty…again. The tears start to form in my eyes and I put my head down, a bit embarrassed by my recent outburst.

"Hey," Arizona calls to me, putting Sophia in her crib and winding up the mobile. "It's ok. I get it…well maybe not exactly cause I've been the one working while you are home. But I feel alone and disconnected…and guilty too."

I don't understand how she could feel guilty and I raise my eyebrows to ask that question.

She explains in her usual fashion…a long-winded rant. "You see, I'm at the hospital all day working. Which I know you think is great…and it is. But I am finding it hard to concentrate at work because I am thinking about you and Sophia…wishing I could be with you, wondering what I am missing while I'm away. And then I come home and I just want to relax and spend time with both of you but…"

I cut her off. "But I am a crazy lunatic who demands that you do things with me and talk to me constantly, because I'm an ass."

She walks toward me, grabbing both of my hands. "You are not an ass Callie…a crazy lunatic sometimes…yes. But I like crazy…and I love you. And I get it, I can't imagine how you must feel…totally disconnected from the outside world. But I feel disconnected from my family, and that sucks too. So we need to meet in the middle here…and just try to connect with each other. Deal?"

I smile at her, amazed at how she just _gets_ me. "Deal. I promise to not bug you about work or anything hospital related when you first come home…maybe we can just talk about that stuff over dinner?" She nods her head in agreement.

"And maybe I can text you a few times throughout the day, letting you know what we've been up to. That way, even if you are really busy and don't get a chance to call…"

Arizona interrupts me this time. "I'll still feel like I know what's happening with my family," she says, finishing my sentence. I would really like that," she adds. Then she finally kisses me…it's sweet and soft, as she lets her lips linger on mine.

"But Arizona," I say as I finally break the kiss. "Don't think I won't expect a decent kiss when you walk in that door every night…and don't think I'm not gonna want to jump your bones the second that beautiful baby goes to sleep."

Arizona chuckles and leans back in for another kiss. "I wouldn't have it any other way, Calliope."

**Arizona's POV:**

"Come on, come on…" I yell, trying to will the elevator to move faster. It's almost eight o'clock and I really need to get out of this hospital so I can see Sophia before she goes down for the night.

About a week ago, our little angel finally started sleeping through the night. The first time it happened, I woke up in a panic, afraid to look in the crib. Of course she was fine…thank God. Since then, we each get up once to check on her…I'm sure someday we'll get over our fears, but for now the checking helps. We are both grateful for the extra sleep…Callie is going back to work on Monday and she will need all the rest she can get. Between working, pumping, and taking care of Sophia…well, my Calliope is gonna be one exhausted mama.

Of course, I will be there to help. And so will Mark. He's taking paternity leave starting next week when Callie goes back. To be honest, I am a little nervous about him having Sophia full time…but I am just gonna have to get over it. He's her dad and it's good for her to be with him…as long as he takes good care of my baby. Plus, the hospital is right across the street and Mark promised to meet us for lunch everyday so we can see our peanut.

She just gets cuter and cuter everyday…I really miss her when I'm at work. Which is why I am so anxious to get the hell out of here.

"Finally," I exclaim as the elevator doors open, noticing how impatient I must seem to the two interns I practically push out of my way to make my escape.

I run…like seriously _run_ across the street to our apartment building, catching my breath as I take yet another impossibly slow elevator ride up to the 5th floor. My keys are out, ready to open the door as soon as I can get to it.

It's very quiet in our home when I enter, and I yell out to Callie, "I'm home. Where are you guys?"

My heart sinks as I hear her reply. "_I'm_ in here babe."

I'm too late, she's already sleeping. I know it…yet I still hope that when I get to our room, Sophia will be waiting for me with her big brown eyes and adorable smile. If there was any hope that would be true, it is crushed when I see the look on Callie's face…regret mixed with a genuine look of sadness for me.

"She crashed about twenty minutes ago…early tonight. I'm so sorry Arizona…I tried to keep her up, she was just so sleepy and…"

I shake my head and stop her from continuing a very sweet but very unnecessary apology. "It's ok Cal, she's a baby. Babies sleep when they need to. It's not a big deal," I say trying to convince the both of us that I'm not upset.

Then my beautiful Calliope looks at me with those big, warm chocolate brown eyes…staring into my heart with sympathy and love. I break and start to sob, covering my face with my hands. Callie immediately comforts me, wrapping an arm around my shoulder and kissing my temple.

"Oh baby…please don't cry," she begs. Feeling a little embarrassed about my emotional state, I try to shrug it off.

"I know I'm being silly. It's just…I haven't see her all day. She was asleep when I got called in this morning, and we didn't get to meet for lunch because I was still in surgery. And now I rush home thinking I'd get at least a few minutes with her…and she is already out. It just…well, it just sucks," I say as the tears start falling again.

Callie wraps her other arm around me now, pulling me tightly to her and kissing the top of my head.

"Hey, at least you get to spend time with me," she says trying to lighten the mood.

"And believe me, I am so happy about that," I tell her. "I just don't want Sophia to forget she has another mom…a mom who really misses her and loves her so much."

Callie pulls back to look into my eyes and asks, "Do you think Sophia is going to forget about me when I go back to work in a few days?" I shake my head no. "Of course not Arizona, because I am her mama…and you are her mommy, she can't forget about you," Callie whispers in my ear. She effectively proves her point, managing to make me feel better as she does.

"So, how was our little peanut today?" I ask. "She was pretty good," Callie answers. "She woke up about 6ish, ate for a really long time…guess she's really hungry in the morning now since she sleeps all night. Um, then we took a walk after I ate breakfast…she fell asleep in the stroller on the way home. When she woke up, she ate again…then we played on the floor for a while, she is really trying to grab for toys now. Then you know…more eating, sleeping. Oh, and at some point in the afternoon we sent our favorite lady a picture on her phone cause we were really missing her."

Callie winks at me when she says the last part, then flashes me that beautiful Calliope smile…and my heart just melts.

"Yeah, I did get that picture…thanks, it really made my day so much better," I tell her as I run my fingers through her gorgeous black curls.

I stare into her loving eyes for a minute before I just can't take it anymore…I pull her close to me again, lavishing her with slow, sensual kisses. Callie instantly deepens the kiss, flicking her warm tongue across my lips until I open my mouth to let her in. Kissing her always feels so good…I run my hands along the bottom of her shirt, silently asking permission to remove the article of clothing. She wastes no time in answering, quickly ridding herself of the shirt and throwing it on the floor behind us. We both rush to rid ourselves of all our clothing, until we are standing holding each other skin to skin. Her bare breasts against mine instantly send a rush right through my body and I lay down on our bed, inviting her to join me by patting the space next to me. Instead, Calliope lays her beautiful body right on top of mine…I can feel her heart beating wildly as we begin making love.

We start out slow and steady, really showing one another how much we love each other…after a while however, the raw need to pleasure my lover causes me to pick up the pace. I touch her and kiss her in all the right spots until she starts panting and breathing out words in Spanish, a clear sign that I've made her happy. She catches me by surprise when she suddenly flips me over, kissing me with so much passion I almost explode. It only takes a few minutes before I am screaming her name, my body shaking as I cling to her. We lie together for a while, our bodies entwined, just loving one another.

"I don't know about you," I say, breaking the blissful silence, "but I could sure use a shower."

Callie gets up, grabbing the baby monitor and heads to the bathroom. I join her in the shower, talking with her about my day at the hospital…laughing together as I describe the idiocy of my newest intern. After we both get washed up, I turn the shower off and start to hand my love a towel. I hesitate to give it to her though, taking in the sight of that gorgeous, wet body one last time before finally letting go. Callie retaliates my yanking my towel off me in one swift motion, then slides past me with an evil grin as she slaps my bare ass. If we're not careful, we'll be all dirty again in a matter of minutes. By now it's almost midnight though, and my shift starts at 7 tomorrow…so I convince myself to get those thoughts out of my head and get dressed. Callie is already dressed and waiting for me to come to bed when I'm through….woman loves her sleep almost as much as sex. I climb in bed beside her, laying my head against her arm and pulling the covers up around us.

"Night babe," she whispers, turning out the light on her nightstand and kissing me sweetly.

"Goodnight Calliope," I say, returning the kiss. Just as I am about to turn off my light, I hear Sophia stirring on the baby monitor. Then it comes…the loud wail from our baby girl, a sound I never thought I'd wish for. Callie sits up, turning her light back on.

"No way Cal," I warn her. "She's mine."

I jump up out of bed….I can't help being excited, even though Sophia should be sleeping. I tiptoe into the nursery, peeking in at my daughter in her crib. I know every parent thinks they have the most beautiful child on earth…it's very narcissistic actually. But since biologically Sophia isn't mine, I think I can safely say I am one hundred percent correct when I tell people she is the most gorgeous creature that God ever put in this world. I'm sure the fact that she is like a mini replica of the love of my life doesn't hurt that opinion. Really, truly and honestly…Sophia is stunning. She has Calliope's beautiful black curls, framing the sweetest little face…and chocolate brown eyes just like Callie, although I hate to say it but I think they are shaped more like Mark's. She must get her one little dimple from him too, although Callie swears that's a part of me that God just had to include in her. None of it really matters though…Sophia is perfect and I know I would love her no matter what she looked like.

I stare down at our little angel for a minute before she notices me, her tiny arms and legs pumping in anger as she cries full force. Then she glances up and sees me standing there, her loud wail quickly diminishing to a half-hearted whimper. I pick her up, placing her into my arms and kissing her beautiful little lips.

"Hi peanut…mommy's here, it's ok," I tell her. She has stopped crying altogether now and is just staring into my eyes, focusing on my every word. "Mommy missed you so much today Sophia," I say. "Your mama will kill me for saying this…but it's totally ok with me if you don't sleep through the night just yet."

Completely wrapped up in my daughter, I am unaware of Callie standing in the doorway watching this whole scene. "Nah, I love you too much to kill you," she says with a smirk. "Especially when I see you with our daughter…pretty sure you could get away with anything as long as you've got that baby in your arms."

I smile at my Calliope, then look back down at Sophia and smile even more. "No place I would rather her be," I say, rocking our beautiful girl back to sleep.

**Chapter 9**

**Callie's POV:**

Today is my first day back to work. A mixture of excitement and fear run through me as I finish getting dressed, Arizona watching me from the rocking chair as she feeds Sophia.

"Are you sure you're going to work Calliope?" she asks as she gently lifts Sophia up to burp her. "Because you look extremely hot…just who do you need to look that good for? Should I be jealous?"

I roll my eyes at her and explain that I am just trying to look good for _me_. I've been cooped up in this apartment for eight weeks now…and it feels good to wear something other than sweatpants and actually care about my hair and makeup. A few minutes later, I am ready to go. I take my baby girl from her mommy and lavish her with a thousand kisses, telling myself that each one will be the last…that I should get going…that she will be ok. But will she? Will I? I know I have complained a lot during my leave that I was bored and desperately wanted to go back to work, so I could be my rock star surgeon self…but now that the time has come, I'm not sure I want to leave Sophia for so long. I requested to work a lighter schedule from now on, which the chief seemed happy to comply with…but I know that as an attending, a six hour work day always turns into an eight…and being on call will undoubtedly mean at least a twelve hour shift. What if I can't handle it all? Suddenly, I am brought out of my thoughts by my beautiful fiancé.

"It's gonna be ok Cal," she whispers in my ear, as she wraps her arms around me and Sophia. "You are gonna have a great first day back to work, I can guarantee you that. And our peanut is gonna be fine, she'll be with her dad. He's been here everyday to see her…we've gone over everything with him a hundred times…plus, we'll be right across the street. "

I know she is right, but this is the first time I've been away from our baby and I can't help feeling a little sad. "You're right," I admit. "I know everything will be ok…but I'm still gonna miss her. I know _you_ can understand that."

"Yes," Arizona says with a hint of sadness in her voice. "But in just a couple weeks I will be here with her all day everyday for two whole weeks." She smiles at Sophia, running her fingers through the thick black locks on her head. "That's right Sophia…you and mommy are gonna have so much fun together," she tells our little girl. Turning to look at me she says, "I really can't wait Calliope…my maternity leave can't come fast enough."

I think I love this woman more and more every day. She is such a wonderful mother to our little girl…and such a wonderful girlfriend, _woops_-fiancé…not to mention a wonderful doctor. She is just wonderful. I glance at the clock, realizing that I really do need to head to work. Right on cue, there is a knock at the door. I grab my bag and walk into the living room, unlocking the door for Mark. I go over my routine with Sophia one more time, leaving him a detailed list just in case he forgets anything. I kiss my baby one last time, then pass her to Mark and pull Arizona into a deep, passionate kiss. "For good luck," I tell her when I pull away. She flashes me a super magic smile and says she will meet me for lunch later. I take a deep breath and leave before I never do.

When lunchtime rolls around, I am anxious to see Arizona. If I have to miss my baby, at least I will get to see my fiancé. Waiting for her to meet me in the cafeteria, I decide to give Mark a call. He has texted me a few times, letting me know Sophia was doing well and asking any questions he had. When he answers the phone with a whispered hello, I laugh knowing he must have had a hard time getting the baby to sleep. She is so alert these days and doesn't like to miss a thing. Mark sounds exhausted and I decide to be the bigger person, telling him it's ok if he stays at home with the baby instead of meeting us for lunch. I am a little disappointed I won't get to see Sophia, but I can tell he is relieved. It is his first day after all…plus, all we'll get is a cranky kid if Mark wakes her up from her first nap of the day. I spot Arizona heading towards me with her lunch and say goodbye to Mark, telling him to give our peanut a kiss from her mommies.

"Hey there," Arizona whispers, leaning down to kiss my cheek. "How's your first day going so far?"

"Pretty great actually," I tell her truthfully. "I've done a knee replacement already this morning…I have two more surgeries this afternoon…and I'm meeting with the chief in a couple hours to discuss my cartilage research again, per his request. Of course I miss our little girl, and I do have some bad news…" Arizona's face goes from happy to her very adorable worried look in about two seconds flat. "No, nothing _really_," I reassure her. "Just…well Mark isn't joining us with Sophia today. Guess he had a hard time getting her down for her nap, so…"

"Oh, oh ok," Arizona says, although I can tell it's anything but ok with her. I reach across the table and grab her hand. "As long as he gets his shit together soon, cause I don't wanna miss lunchtime with our peanut every day for the next two weeks," she says.

"Agreed," I reply. "Gonna cut him a little slack today, but tomorrow…well, tomorrow he'd better be here." I try to let go of Arizona's hand so I can eat my salad, but she holds on tight. I am really hungry, but she is just too freakin' adorable to resist. I maneuver my hand enough so that I can lace my fingers through hers, getting butterflies when she looks deep into my eyes with those baby blues and raises her eyebrows…a sure sign she is up to no good. She drops my hand suddenly, then grabs our salads and leaves the cafeteria, looking behind her to see if I'm coming.

When I catch up to her at the elevator, I look to see if anyone is watching us…doesn't appear to be, so I lean in real close to her and whisper, "Lunch in bed?" before nibbling on her ear just enough to make her quiver. The elevator opens and I release her earlobe, gaining a few looks from the group of interns shuffling out. I can see Arizona blush…making me want her even more. We let the interns out, then stare at one another until the doors close and we are left alone. I hit the button for the third floor, then slam Arizona up against the elevator wall. She lets out a long moan as I push into her with all of my weight, roughly kissing her mouth…her jaw…her neck. I hear a ding but am so caught up in the moment that I've forgotten where we are, and suddenly the doors open up on the second floor. Arizona's eyes grow wide and she taps me on the shoulder until I stop ravishing her and turn around.

April Kepner is standing there, looking both appalled and embarrassed, and stutters out, "Ugh, ugh…you know, I don't really need to take this elevator…gonna, gonna wait for the next one."

The doors shuts again and we both crack up. Arizona grabs the bag with our salads off of the floor and we compose ourselves briefly before the doors open back up. We rush to _our _on call room down the hall from Arizona's Peds wing, locking the door behind us when we finally get inside. "What would you like to do first?" I ask as I pull off my scrub top, holding it in one hand and Arizona's salad in the other.

"You…definitely you," she quickly replies, removing the salad from my hand and placing it on the table next to us. Now it's her turn to ravish me. Arizona wastes no time tearing off the rest of my clothes, touching every inch of skin she can while she kisses me passionately. I break away from her, causing her to whimper at the loss of contact…but her tune quickly changes when I begin undressing her, taking my sweet time so I can kiss every piece of her body as it becomes exposed. She is so soft and I love the way she tastes. "Oh Calliope," she calls out, her breath becoming ragged as I lick my way back up to her mouth.

"Lay down Arizona," I demand, knowing that we don't have too much time left together. She obeys, sliding into the bed with her arms stretched out for me. I join her, laying my naked body against hers so we are facing each other. We make love…it's hot and quick and needy…but it's love.

"Told you I could guarantee you'd have a great first day back," Arizona whispers in my ear before rolling herself on top of me and pulling me in for a loving kiss. "I was planning on paging you here a little later on today…but since we couldn't see Sophia at lunch, I figured it would be good to have a little extra time together. Sorry you never got to eat…I promise I'll make it up to you later," she says with a very sexy grin as she gets out of bed and begins getting dressed.

"This…this was amazing. Totally worth being hungry for," I say as I pull my scrub pants back on. "Plus, I figure the chief is always late for meetings, so I'll just chow my salad while I wait for him. I'm sure you can find some tiny human that likes pudding and offer to keep them company while they eat…no one will even notice if you're eating too." Just then, Arizona's pager goes off and she checks herself in the mirror before giving me a quick kiss and skating exuberantly down the hall. I can't help but smile at her and hope that some of her perkiness rubs off on Sophia.

Four hours later, I have checked on all my post-op patients and am ready to leave for the day. I stop by Peds to say goodbye to Arizona, but one of the nurses informs me she is still working on a kid who came into the ER…she's been in surgery for hours now the nurse says. Must have been the kid they paged her for when we were together earlier. I ask the nurse to leave her a note for me and scribble on a piece of _Winnie the Pooh _paper I find on the counter. _Hey baby, sorry I couldn't catch you before I went home. Hope your surgery went well. I'll be waiting for you with our little peanut, your favorite pizza, and a glass of wine. Love you. -Cal_

I get home and practically knock Mark over trying to get to my baby. She smiles when she sees me and my heart just melts. I missed her so much…and even though work was amazing, especially my lunch date, I am so glad to be home. Mark gives me all the details on his day with Sophia…I try to listen but am too wrapped up in the baby. I sense he is getting frustrated with me basically ignoring him when he says, "Alright, since you obviously don't need me anymore…I'm gonna go grab some dinner at Joe's."

"What's wrong Mark, Sophia was such a handful today that you need a stiff drink?" I ask, chuckling as I continue eating up my baby's cheeks. "Seriously though, Mark…thanks for doing this. I'm glad she gets to spend time with you while me and Arizona are at work."

He comes over, gives Sophia a kiss and says, "She's my daughter, I'm happy to take care of her when you guys can't. I'm glad I get paternity leave…we had fun today. I'm exhausted and I really don't know how you and Blondie do it, considering you are up half the night with her."

"Actually, she's been sleeping through the night quite a bit lately. Not that we get any more sleep…" Woops, did I really just say that? I'm in no mood for Mark's questions about lesbian sex…ever since I started dating Arizona he has been desperate to hear details about our sex life. In the past, I told Mark everything about my relationships…including graphic details in the bedroom department. But not with Arizona…never. Being with her has always seemed too sacred to discuss with him. "Never mind," I say, effectively cutting him off before he has a chance to open his mouth. "See you tomorrow? Same time, ok?"

Mark leaves and I take the opportunity to nurse Sophia, spending some quality time bonding with her after being away all day. Plus, my boobs hurt…I can only afford to take one pumping break a day if I want to get home on time. Sophia seems happy to get the real deal instead of a bottle and feeds for a long time, eventually falling asleep in my arms. I put her in her crib, then call and order a pizza. Arizona should be home any minute, her shift was supposed to end about an hour after mine. I take a quick shower and crack open two bottles of wine…red for me and white for my girl. I am in the nursery changing Sophia's diaper after her little catnap, when I hear Arizona come in.

"Where are my beautiful girls?" she asks, her voice full of happiness. Her surgery must have gone well after all.

"In here babe," I call to her, turning my head towards the door so she can hear me. After a minute, she appears looking so beautiful it takes my breath away. "Hey gorgeous," I say, greeting her with a kiss and passing the baby to her anxious arms. "We're glad you're home."

The pizza arrives shortly and we eat dinner, talking about our prospective days at work. Arizona gives me all the details on her six hour long surgery on her patient Chloe. I can tell being a mom now is making it hard for her by the way she looks at Sophia when she talks about it, but she doesn't seem to want to get into it so I get up and pour her a glass of wine. She silently thanks me by rubbing the back of my hand lovingly as I hand her the glass, her dimples showing when she smiles. Those dimples…ahh, I just can't resist and I brush my hand across her cheek and tell her I love her.

"I love you too Calliope, she says in return. "More than you'll ever know. And I love you too peanut," she says to the beautiful creature in her arms. "I'm so glad you had a good day back…and I'm so glad you're still in one piece Sophia. So, I guess Mark did ok, huh?" she asks.

"Yeah, he looked pretty rough when I got home…said he was going to Joe's," I tell her, unable to keep my laughter at bay. Arizona laughs too, Sophia smiling up at the beautiful sound coming from her mommy. I notice that it's almost eight already and figure we should start Sophia's bedtime routine. "Let's get you fed and in the tubby little miss," I say as I take Sophia from a very reluctant Arizona. "Then…" I whisper in my lover's ear, "you can finish what you started in that on call room earlier." Arizona must like the sound of that because in no time she is up, clearing the table and washing the baby bottles on the counter.

About an hour later, Arizona and I are looking down at our sleeping angel in her crib, so completely in love with her. "Goodnight peanut," Arizona whispers as she gently lays a blanket on Sophia, leaning down to kiss her forehead. I give our baby a goodnight kiss too, following Arizona out of the nursery and into our bedroom.

We pick up where we left off earlier…taking it nice and slow, no need to rush this time. After many demonstrations of love and numerous orgasms, we are both physically exhausted. I pull Arizona into my arms, pressing her head against my chest so I can just breathe her in until I fall asleep. I think she is asleep when suddenly she whispers, "I love that sound."

"What sound?" I question, already knowing the answer. "The rain? The ceiling fan? The baby breathing on the monitor? I don't hear anything," I tease.

She sits up, very serious all of a sudden., and places her hand right over my heart. The way she is touching me I almost feel like she is holding it…like she literally has my heart in the palm of her hand. "This," she says. "Your heart…working…beating, loud and strong. I love that sound," she says again, this time with tears in her eyes.

I place my hand over hers, squeezing it hard to try and convey all the love I have inside for her. "I'm glad you like that sound Arizona, because my heart…it beats for you, for Sophia, for us." I close my eyes and drift off to sleep so peacefully…Arizona's head still pressed to my chest, her hand continuing to stake its claim on my heart.

**Chapter 10**

**Arizona's POV:**

Today is my last day of maternity leave…Callie and I have this coming weekend off and then we both return to work Monday, leaving Sophia in the hospital daycare for the first time. I must admit, I am feeling really terrible about all of this. I never pegged myself for the stay-at-home mom type…well actually, I never pegged myself for the mom type at all. But as they say, life is full of surprises…and being Sophia's mommy is the best surprise I never knew I wanted.

The first few days I was home with our peanut went so well…I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. But it never did. Every day with her just got better and better, a nice routine falling into place. For the first time in my life, I didn't think about work…I almost forgot I was even a doctor. I'm sure I would miss my job if I didn't go back, but right now all I really want to do is quit and stay home with Sophia.

I feel a single tear roll down my cheek as I look down at my beautiful baby, sound asleep in her stroller. It's a beautiful day so I asked Callie to meet us at our spot for lunch, not wanting to spend my last day with Sophia in the hospital. My last day…oh no, here comes another tear.

"Arizona, what's wrong?" Callie asks, coming up behind me so quick I nearly fall off the bench. She puts her hand on my shoulder to steady me, glancing down at Sophia before taking a seat on the bench.

"Nothing, I'm fine." Trying to change the subject, I run my fingers through Sophia's hair and say, "She looks so peaceful, doesn't she Calliope?"

"Yeah, yeah," Callie says, "peaceful, beautiful, perfect. Stop trying to change the subject babe and tell me what's wrong."

Guess I should have known I wasn't gonna get away with that one. I finally look up into those gorgeous chocolate orbs and decide not to even try and lie to her anymore. "I'm sad Calliope," I admit. It's my last day home with Sophia and…well, I don't really want it to be. Believe it or not I think I could actually do this forever…I mean, not go back to work."

When I am finished, Callie has a strange look on her face and seems to be pondering something. A few minutes of awkward silence pass before she finally asks, "Is there something wrong with me for not wanting that…for not feeling that way?"

"No," I answer quickly…I don't want her to misunderstand what I'm saying here. "No Callie, there is nothing wrong with you at all. You are a wonderful…amazing mother, but you are also a wonderful and amazing doctor. I get it, and I know this feeling probably wouldn't last forever with me either…that eventually I would miss being a doctor too…but right now I kind of like just being her mom. Maybe there's something wrong with me…I mean, who knew _I _could ever feel like this? _Me_…"

When I look up at Callie again, there is a huge grin plastered across her face. "Um, I did. That's why I couldn't figure out why you _thought_ you didn't want kids. I knew you would be like this…throw yourself in one hundred and fifty percent. Sometimes I almost feel bad because even though I carried her, sometimes I think you are the better mother," she says with a hint of guilt.

"Please Calliope, don't say that…don't ever think that," I almost yell at her. "You are the most loving person I know and Sophia is so incredibly lucky to have you for a mom. We're different…we're not always gonna think or feel the same way about things…about parenting. And while I can almost guarantee that will cause many an argument between us…for our kids, it's just gonna mean they get to experience two kinds of moms. Think about it…it's pretty great actually. I mean, growing up…how many times did you wish your mother was different? Our kids will never have to wish for that because where I fail, you will succeed…we'll counteract and compliment each other enough that hopefully they'll never wish they could trade us both in."

Callie takes a minute to process all I've just blurted out in my typical Arizona Robbins rapid speed, looking quite amused as she wraps an arm around me and kisses my cheek. "You're right Arizona," she admits. "We have one lucky little girl right here. And apparently she is going to have some siblings one day."

I'm a bit confused, not even realizing how many times I said our _kids_…plural. Then it dawns on me what she is getting at and I digress, "Well, we don't want Sophia to be an only child…do we?" I ask rather optimistically. Callie never argued when I told her we'd have ten kids…not that ten is ever gonna happen.

"Of course not," she answers. "I would love nothing more to expand our family in the future. But you have to make me a promise….ok?"

I'm afraid to see where she's headed with this. "Um, ok I guess…what exactly are you going to have me agree to?" I ask with a bit of trepidation.

"You don't have to carry any babies," she starts, quickly adding, "unless you want to….which would be so amazing. I can't even imagine how beautiful you would look with a baby belly. But if you don't want to go through the whole pregnancy thing, I think we should at least use one of your eggs. Don't get me wrong, Sophia is beautiful but…"

"But what?" I ask, cutting her off in mid-sentence. "Sophia is drop dead gorgeous, just like her mama. Every beautiful thing about you is right there in that precious little face," I say, not understanding why she wouldn't want more children who look like that.

"Exactly," she says. "Half the reason you are so in love with her is because you're in love with me. I want to experience that too…want the chance to fall completely head over heals in love with a mini version of you. The dimples, the big blue eyes…God how I want that someday," she confesses.

I pull Callie in for a quick kiss, before nonchalantly saying, "Ok."

"Ok," she questions. "Just like that.

"Yup," I answer. "The way you're looking at me right now, I'm not sure I could say no to you about anything. And I think you'll even get your wish of seeing me pregnant. But for now….let's just concentrate on this little peanut," I say while looking down at our sleeping daughter.

"You don't have to go back to work if you don't want to," Callie announces rather randomly, reminding me how we got into all of this in the first place. "I mean, between my salary and the trust fund…we can make it without you working Arizona," she says with sincerity.

"I appreciate that Cal, I really do," I tell her. "But the trust fund…we need to hang on to that for emergencies…and college…and our wedding." I love the way her face lights up when I say _our wedding._ I can't help but smile at this beautiful woman, the woman I am going to marry someday very soon.

"Plus," I continue, "I know that there are other children who need me too…as a doctor. And I'm sure I would miss being a surgeon…I guess it just feels like she is growing so fast, and I still worry so much about her because of all she's been through. I know she'll be fine when she's at the daycare…Bailey's son is very happy there…and we can visit her throughout the day," I say as I try to convince myself it will all be ok.

Sensing the anxiety starting to rise in me again, Callie brushes my cheek with her hand, instantly calming my worries. "She will be alright Arizona," Callie says. "I'm so glad you've enjoyed the time you've had with her…I can tell how happy she's been being with you. And we can make a point of taking more time off now, I've already talked to the chief about it.."

Then in a very sexy voice, Callie leans down and whispers, "Plus, just think about all the trips we'll have to make to the on call room…since we'll be spending our lunch hour at the daycare. Especially once we're married…you know, newlyweds like to have _lots_ of sex." She winks at me, raising an eyebrow as she bites her bottom lip. Nothing is hotter than Calliope biting that damn lip and I feel a jolt of electricity run through my body, my mind beginning to wander until Sophia's cry interrupts my thoughts.

"Baby's awake hun, get your mind out of the gutter," Callie says. "I promise though, there will be lots of trips to the gutter this weekend. Want to make sure you feel really good before returning to work on Monday."

I shake my head at her silly antics, watching her in awe as she nurses our daughter. We sit, enjoying our time as a family, eating lunch and playing with Sophia, until Callie has to go back to the hospital. I am sad to see her go…but glad to have our peanut all to myself one last afternoon. "Come on Sophia," I say to the raven-haired beauty, "let's go home and snuggle while we wait for mama to come home."

I arrive at our apartment to find Mark waiting outside on the front steps. "Forget your keys again Mark?" I ask, rolling my eyes at how stupid he can be sometimes.

"Yeah Blondie, good thing you're here," he says with a smug look on his face. "Now you can let me in…and I can come hang out with Sophia for a while."

"Um, I guess you can come by for a little while…but today's my last day with her, I kind of don't want to share…no offense," I tell him honestly. I really don't want to spend my last day with him either…but I can't exactly tell him that. We've managed to let our past issues with one another become water under the bridge, and I have to admit that it's much easier to deal with him when I'm not completely pissed off all the time.

"Why don't I let you have the afternoon with her then?" he suggests. "Maybe I can come get her in a few hours, take her across to my place for a bit so maybe you can Callie can…"

"Don't worry Mark, me and Callie do plenty of that," I inform him. "We certainly don't need your help," I say, feeling myself get suddenly defensive. I can overlook a lot of the stupid crap he says, but when it comes to my sex life with Calliope…well, I just can't tolerate him talking about it.

"Relax Arizona," he says also very defensively. "I just thought maybe you two could have a romantic dinner or something…a little uninterrupted time, without having to worry about the baby for a while. You can just say no if you want."

"Sorry Mark…that would actually be awesome. I know Callie wants to do a lot of wedding related stuff this weekend, and we already have our schedule mapped out with Sophia right? So that would be cool."

I see that it's just about three o'clock…Callie is scheduled until five, so she should be home no later than six. I ask Mark if I can bring Sophia over when I am ready to pick up our dinner, that way I don't have to take her with me. To be honest, I haven't wanted to drive much since the accident…and I certainly haven't had the nerve to drive with the baby in the car. That could take decades. Anyway, he agrees and gives Sophia a kiss before we go our separate ways.

I spend the next couple hours just hanging out with my little girl, playing music for us to dance to and make all the silly faces she loves. After a while she gets hungry, so I warm her up a bottle and eventually we fall asleep together on the couch. I forget all about ordering dinner or bringing her over to Mark's…and suddenly I hear a key turning in the doorknob. Callie barrels in, soaking wet from the Seattle rain…a dozen roses in one hand and Chinese take out in the other. She drops her umbrella and purse on the floor rather loudly, causing Sophia to jump a little in my arms. I hold the tiny baby close to me, sitting up to see my gorgeous mess of a fiancé kneeling down in front of me.

"Oh Cal, I'm so sorry. Mark was supposed to take Sophia so I could pick the food up tonight and we could have a romantic dinner. But I guess I feel asleep with the baby and…and what are you doing on the floor?" I ask, suddenly aware of the awkward position she is in.

"Arizona Robbins…I've thought about getting into this position for you since, well since that day Gary Clark came into the hospital and made me realize that life without you would be meaningless. Of course, a lot has happened since then…for a while, I didn't think I'd ever get the chance to do this," Callie says, the tears starting to well up in her eyes. "Then," she continues, "well then you kind of stole my thunder, beat me to it so to speak. So my plan for the bed and breakfast was ruined…and since then I've just been trying to find the right time."

I am thoroughly confused and am about to ask Callie what the hell she is talking about, when she suddenly takes Sophia out of my arms and places her into the bouncy seat on the floor. She turns back and offers me the roses, which I graciously accept as I look into Callie's eyes. The raw love and emotion I see in them must mirror exactly what she sees when she looks into mine, and she catches me off guard with the most passionate kiss I've ever felt.

"Probably should have waited to kiss you until you said yes," Callie whispers as she pulls a small black box out from behind her back. "I know we are already engaged…and I love that you proposed to me so spontaneously, in the middle of an argument no less…but you are the most beautiful, amazing woman I have ever met and you definitely deserve the chance to be proposed to." Lifting Sophia back out of the seat and placing her in my arms, Callie says, "So, will you marry us?"

The baby wakes up and looks into my eyes, like she too is waiting for an answer. "Of course I'll marry you Calliope," I tell her as she slips the most beautiful diamond on my finger. "Your already my wife in my heart…and you," I tell Sophia, "You've been mine since the first time I saw you on that ultrasound."

"Kiss me," Callie orders…and I am more than happy to comply. We whisper I love you to one another, our baby girl in between us. Just when I think life can't get any better…she proposes to me.

**Chapter 11**

**Callie's POV:**

For months now, I've had that engagement ring hidden in our apartment…long before I got pregnant, long before Africa. I've known for a while now that I wanted to marry Arizona Robbins, but it just never seemed like the right time…and then our lives got crazy and turned upside down, and I honestly thought we may have ruined our chance at happiness. I finally felt confident enough in our relationship again to break out the ring, hoping to whisk Arizona away to that bed and breakfast and finally show her that I wanted a life with her…forever.

Then we got into an argument, Arizona proposed…and we ran into the back of a truck, again turning our lives upside down. Somehow in the face of tragedy, we've gotten back on track with one another. Somehow, we've fallen even more in love with one another. Somehow, we all survived. Literally. And when you almost die…almost lose the people you love…well, all the stupid crap just seems trivial and you realize most of it doesn't really matter. I love her and she loves me…and we love our little girl…and we are truly happy again.

So today I decide that I am done waiting for the right moment to give her that ring…we have a baby and full time careers and there are hardly any _right_ moments to propose to the woman I love. I don't care about the timing anymore…as long as that moment is perfect for her, I will be happy. So I call Mark and tell him to go into the apartment and get the ring…tell him to convince Arizona to let him take the baby so we can have a romantic night together. I call and order all of her favorites from our Chinese take out place across town. I stop and pick up a dozen long-stem red roses on the way home, expecting to find her dressed and ready for a romantic evening together.

What I see instead when I barge in the door all wet, my hands full….what I see is so much better than anything I could have ever anticipated. Arizona is lying on the couch sound asleep with Sophia on her chest…she is a mess, her hair in her face and her shirt riding up on one side. The baby has a firm grip on her, one little hand grasping onto her t-shirt while the other rests under chin. It is the most beautiful sight I've ever seen and in that moment, the only thing that could make my life any better is asking the love of my life to marry me. Even though technically we are already engaged…even though we have already silently made all those vows that a marriage defines…even though we are most definitely already a family, I want to kneel down in front of her and offer myself and my child to be hers forever.

So I drop my belongings, startling Sophia a bit and waking Arizona….and I get on my knees and look into her eyes and ask her to marry me. She obviously agrees, both laughing and crying at my insane proposal…but I can tell she is happy. Her eyes lit up the entire room in that moment, her gorgeous smile turning an ordinary day into magic.

"Do you like the ring?" I ask, a little nervously. "It's an antique…simple, classic, beautiful- just like you. That's why I picked it. But if you don't like it, you can…I mean, I made sure we could exchange it if we needed to…I promise I won't be insulted, really…"

"Shut up Calliope," Arizona says, forcing me to stop talking when she plants a kiss firmly on my lips. "I love it…it's so…me. It's perfect…I wouldn't trade it for the world."

Arizona shifts Sophia to one side of her lap, closing the gap between us by grabbing the back of my head and pulling me into a heated kiss. We come up for air after a minute, the baby starting at us like she knows we are about to do something wrong. I hold my arms out for Sophie…Arizona gives her a squeeze and a kiss on the head, then passes her to me.

"Say goodbye to mommy," I say to Sophia as I head towards the door. I see the panic on Arizona's face and decide not to worry her. "Don't worry Arizona, she'll be back later. She's just gonna go over to her dad's for a while…remember? We're supposed to be having a romantic evening."

"We are having a romantic evening," Arizona says. "One of the most romantic evenings of my entire life actually."

"Good…and I want it to continue," I inform her. "Just a bit more privately, if you know what I mean," I say as I gesture towards the baby. "Tonight…tonight I don't want to have to rush, or worry about how loud I make you scream, or think about anyone but you. So the peanut is going to Mark's…be right back."

I close the door behind me and Mark is already standing at his door, waiting for Sophia. "How did it go?" he asks. "I'm assuming well since you are still bringing Sophia over here."

"Yes Mark, it was perfect," I tell him with excitement. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a gorgeous fiancé waiting for me across the hall. Here's the diaper bag…I even packed an extra bottle in case we get tied up."

I instantly regret that last comment, Mark's dumb grin eluding to the sexual reference I just made.

"You know what I mean Mark. Anyway, if I'm lucky you won't see me for quite some time. Thanks again for all your help." I give my baby girl a few kisses and tell her to be good for her daddy, then head back to Arizona.

When I open the door, Arizona is no longer on the couch and I can hear the shower running in the bathroom. I am careful not to startle her, gently knocking on the bathroom door with the hope that I get invited in.

"Get in here…you wonderful, beautiful woman," Arizona orders.

I am quick to comply when I see her standing there under the water, her perfect porcelain skin glistening. I take my clothes off, her eyes on me the whole time, and slide the shower door open. I am met with a pair of loving arms, pulling me into an intimate embrace. I stand under the hot water, running my hands up and down her beautiful figure, stopping to pull her left hand up so I can admire the ring on it. I kiss her knuckles, shifting my focus from the brilliant diamond to the brilliant blue eyes that stare straight into my soul.

"I love you so much Calliope," Arizona whispers. "And not because you put a gorgeous diamond on my finger…although that's not a bad thing. I just love _you_, so much it hurts sometimes," she admits.

"It's not supposed to hurt Arizona…love is supposed to feel good," I tell her sarcastically. "And believe me, I want to make you feel good…in more ways than one."

I can feel her temperature rise when I say this to her, and she slowly inches her way back into my arms. What starts as loving, gentle kisses turns quickly into wild, raging, lust-filled groping and clawing underneath the hot water. The kisses are sloppy and desperate, as we feel the need to satisfy one another. Unable to do all the things I want to her in the shower, I shut the water off and lead Arizona out of the bathroom…not caring that we are dripping wet and making quite a puddle as we trail into the bedroom.

I gently push Arizona onto our bed, lying down on my side so I can look down at her while I lick the beads of water off of her beautiful porcelain skin. She shivers a little…can't tell if she's getting cold from being wet or if I am just making her squirm with my actions. Either way, she doesn't complain and I continue to move my mouth over any remaining droplets I can find. She runs her hands down my wet body, kneading my skin to let me know just how much she wants me. I lay on my back, pulling her on top of me and gasping when I feel her cool, wet body on mine. She takes a moment to just look at me, my brown eyes mirrored in her blue ones.

"Make love to me," I demand in a husky voice, desperate to become a part of her. She straddles my hips, moving back and forth at an intentionally cruel speed…so slow and deliberate are her actions. "Arizona," I whisper, my voice becoming ragged already. She grabs what I call love handles, a part of my body I usually detest…but when she wraps her hands around my flesh and grinds her body down against mine, I am grateful for the leverage this extra skin gives her.

Arizona makes me feel so good…and I want to do the same for her. So I remove her hands from my body and lace my fingers through hers, effectively pulling her up enough so I can look into her eyes again. She stops moving altogether, looking down at me with so much adoration my heart could just burst. I see the tears beginning to form in her eyes as she leans down and presses her lips to mine…giving me the most amazing kiss. Then, quite abruptly, she gets off of me and out of bed altogether.

"Be right back," she says, her voice shaky. My body aches at the loss of contact and my heart aches when I see her return a moment later, tears now freely flowing from those beautiful eyes.

"Baby, what's wrong?" I question, not understanding what has upset her so suddenly. A few moments ago we were starting to make love, enjoying our special night together. Then she disappears for a minute, only to return crying. I just don't get it.

"I wasn't going to do this," she says, her voice heavy with emotion. "I wasn't ever going to talk about this with you…but I…after what you did tonight, proposing and putting this ring on my finger…I just had to. I just want you to…_need_ you to know that I want forever, no matter what happens."

When Arizona is done choking out those words, words that obviously hurt coming out of her mouth, I am perplexed still and can't help asking, "What are you talking about? We just got engaged…for the second time actually…and we're gonna get married, so I'm pretty sure forever is in the cards."

She still looks so upset and I reach for her hand, only then realizing that it is already occupied…with a tiny red box.

"Yes, Calliope," Arizona says when she finally is able to find her voice again. "Forever is in the cards for us…_now_. The forever you're referring to…a lifetime together, that _forever_ is in the cards now. Six months ago I wasn't so sure we would have a lifetime together…I wasn't sure I would get to have my forever with you here on Earth. After the accident, when you weren't responding and Derek said your brain may have been compromised…so many things went through my mind."

I'm still not sure where this conversation is going, but I lend her some quiet support so she can continue. I take her free hand in mine, rubbing circles on the inside of her palm…this always seems to calm her down. Noticing the tears still flowing, I run my thumb under her eyes to help wipe some of them away. I want her to know I am here for her, that it's ok…whatever it is she has to say, it's ok. She looks into my eyes then inhales sharply, trying to gain the courage to continue.

Finally she speaks again, saying," So many things went through my mind then. What was I going to do if Sophia didn't make it? How was I going to tell you we lost our baby? Would you even want to be alive if she wasn't? What if you survived but couldn't function? What would happen with Sophia then? What if you never woke up and we had to make the decision to let you go? Oh God, what if you didn't wake up. What if you died?"

"But I didn't die Arizona," I start to say before she gets up, quickly dropping my hand and opening that little red box.

"This," she says as she pulls out a beautiful ring, a ring that looks so familiar to me. "This ring…I went and bought this ring the night of your second surgery…the night our baby was born. This ring was meant to let you know that I wanted forever with you_ and only you, _no matter what happened. That even if the only "you" I could ever have was the you in your body, if your mind never worked again…that I would still want you, that I would take any part of you I could get. That if you woke up only to lead a life of heartache and misery, without Sophia…that if we lost her… I would be there and live that same life, _with you._ And that God forbid…God forbid you didn't make it…that I still wanted forever with you, even if that meant waiting until I died to get to you."

"Oh Arizona," I all I can manage to choke out, my own tears now escaping.

"I sat next to you with this ring in my hand, ready to put it on your finger…to make you mine forever, no matter what. But there was always someone there…someone watching, or visiting, or checking on you. And I wanted the moment to be special, even if you never knew it happened…I wanted to be alone with you. So I waited…hours and hours I waited…and when I finally had you all to myself, something so much better happened than putting that ring on. You woke up."

I can't take it anymore and lean in to stroke her cheek…this amazing woman just basically told me she wanted forever with me, even if she had to wait an eternity to get it. That she wanted to prove her love for me so much…so much that she left the hospital after being injured in a car accident, saving our daughter's life, spending sleepless nights caring for me and Sophia…she left the hospital to buy a ring , so I would never doubt her love for me.

There's so much I want to say to Arizona right now and yet the only thing that actually comes out of my mouth is, "So why didn't you give me the ring…I mean, since then?"

She looks hurt and for a moment I think she's mad…why shouldn't she be mad? The woman just poured her heart out, reliving the emotional roller coaster she went on after the accident…and all I can do is ask why I never got the ring. Smooth Callie…real smooth.

"I'm sorry Arizona…that was…I shouldn't have…it's not important. What you said…that's important. In fact, I think it's the most important information I've ever received. If I wasn't…but I am…I just mean…even more…somehow you just made me fall even more in love with you. Do you know that? Do you know how much I love you…really?" I feel her finger on my lips then, insisting I stop my nervous rambling.

"Shh, it's alright. I know you love me…I'm not mad because of what you said…what you asked. I don't know why I never gave you the ring really. When you first woke up, my focus completely changed. I put the ring away and called your doctors. Then later, I guess part of me thought I shouldn't because you were alive and well…and you got better and came home, and so did our peanut. I guess I thought giving it to you, talking about all of this…we've been so happy, I just didn't want to bring up all the pain and sadness again. I thought about taking it back, exchanging it for a new one that didn't come with so much baggage. Then before, when I was about to make love to you…I looked into your eyes and saw my whole world. The good, the bad…everything that's happened has brought us to where we are today. So, I don't know…I guess the ring sort of symbolizes that. And I just had to give it to you…tell you that more than ever, I want forever with you."

I kiss her, so long and hard I could bruise her lips. I don't know what I've done to deserve this woman…but I will be eternally grateful for getting to spend a lifetime with her. I look at the ring, then stretch out my left hand…it is shaking and I have to steady it with my other hand so Arizona can actually get the ring on. She slips it on my finger and again, I feel like there is something oddly familiar about this ring. Then suddenly I realize why. I reach for the chain around my neck, sliding the heart pendant around until I can see it clearly. The design is the same as the ring…only on the ring, the heart is engraved into the band on each side of the diamond. I study the intricate design, amazed at how Arizona actually found it.

"When I bought the necklace two years ago, the jeweler tried to entice me to buy the ring too. He said it wasn't necessarily an engagement ring. But I knew that if I ever gave you a ring, you should as hell better be marrying me."

Arizona wiped her eyes and laughed after saying this….oh, that beautiful sound filling the air was like music to my ears and I simply stared at her in awe and smiled.

"So, will you?" she asks, breaking the perfectly silent moment.

"I've already said yes Arizona…but if you are asking again if I will marry you…if you ask me every single day for the rest of our lives…the answer will always be the same. Yes. Yes…I want nothing more than to make you mine, to be yours…_forever_."

When I came home to propose to the woman I love, I had many expectations for how this evening would go. But never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be taking this journey with Arizona tonight. I know she will never cease to amaze me and feel so blessed to be sharing a lifetime of surprises with my soul mate.

Arizona must be feeling the same way…we exchange a look that makes words unnecessary and rush to one another, both of us determined to finish what we started earlier. I join my left hand with hers, our newly acquired rings touching as we get lost in each other. A brilliant sparkle has replaced the tears in my lover's eyes, and I run my thumb along her lips to trace the outline of her smile. She places her hand over my heart…_her_ heart, and I need to show her just how much I love her. I pull her into my arms, kissing her with every ounce of love and passion I am feeling in this moment. Eventually, she leads me back to bed where we make love until I swear, we've been to heaven and back several times.

Lying here with Arizona's head on my chest, her legs wrapped around me…I feel complete. I feel myself drifting off to sleep when Arizona slips out of bed, leaning down to press a lingering kiss to my cheek. I roll over to find her hastily putting on her pajama bottoms and tank top, running her hands through her disheveled hair.

"Where are you going?" I ask, pouting at the idea of her being anywhere but here with me.

"I'm going to get our little girl," she replies, walking out of our room without hesitation.

God, I love this woman.

**Chapter 12**

**Arizona's POV:**

It's been almost seven months since the accident that changed our lives forever…the accident that almost killed the love of my life and caused our baby to be born prematurely. The accident that somehow has managed to make us stronger, happier, and more in love than ever. While I wish we didn't have to go through so much pain to get here…I can't change what's happened and I don't even want to. Sometimes I think that if we never would have left for that weekend trip…if we never would have argued about Mark, then I never would have finally gotten up the nerve to propose to Callie. Maybe she would never have proposed to me either…maybe she would still be wondering if I was gonna bail on her one day.

If we didn't get into that terrible accident, Sophia would have been born full term and life would have continued on the way it was…Mark always in the way, Callie oblivious, and me still feeling sad and insecure. However, since that fateful day a lot has changed. After my argument with Mark, Callie has put him in his place and he is actually respecting the boundaries we've established…for now. I know it's only a matter of time before he gets comfortable again and slips up. But for now…I'll take it.

Yes, right now life couldn't be better. Sophia, who is now six months and twenty days old, is doing all of the things a full term baby her age should be, even though she is still probably half the size. She's rolled over, is trying to sit up, and just a few months ago she started laughing. I'm not talking a little chuckle or squeal of excitement…I mean a full out belly laugh. It may quite possibly be the awesome thing I've ever seen…her cute little face gets all scrunched up and then she smiles and lets out a hearty laugh. She looks so much like my Calliope, how could I not be totally enamored by this tiny human. I think I fall more in love with both my girls everyday.

So of course now that life is seemingly perfect…we are about to rock the boat in a very big way. A wedding. Something I never really had a strong desire for…but something Callie really needs, so who am I to deny her what she wants? And if we are gonna do this thing, we might as well go all out…so we are spending a fortune on dresses, flowers, photographers, and what I hope turns out to be a beautiful ceremony and reception.

The state of Washington doesn't actually support gay "marriage" at this time, so we are going to gave what's legally referred to as a civil union. But in our eyes, it will be a marriage…no one is ever going to tell me that Calliope is not my _wife_. Since we really can't have a religious ceremony, being that Callie is Catholic and the church certainly doesn't support gay marriage….we've decided to ask Bailey to officiate our nuptials. She knows both of us really well, believes in God while also supporting our decision to get married, and is a justice of the peace. Callie and I were both thrilled that she agreed to do the ceremony.

I don't think Callie's parents are going to be too thrilled with the whole thing…her mom has already called to complain several times that we are not giving her a church wedding. Why should we be giving _her_ anything? It's our wedding…she got to have her big Catholic thing when she married Carlos. I just don't get it, why people tend to try and live through their children…force them to follow in their footsteps and do things the way they would have done them. Callie and I agree that we would never expect…or even want Sophia to be just like us. As long as she is happy and tries to make a difference in this world, we will support her in anything she chooses to do or anyone she chooses to love.

I guess it's hard for me to understand Callie's parents because my mom and dad have always been so supportive. When I first came out of the closet as a teenager, my mom flat out told me she already knew…that she wasn't dumb, that she was just waiting for me to tell her myself. I was more nervous about my dad…but like I told Carlos almost three years ago, he got over his initial shock and promised to always support me, as long as I stayed true to who I am…who he raised me to be. Why can't Callie's parents be as open-minded and accepting?

"Ugh, I just can't take her anymore," Callie yells as she gets off the phone with her mother. "She's not even here yet and she's already driving me crazy. Remind me again why we had to invite them?"

I walk up and wrap my arms around her, placing a soft kiss on her cheek. "Because they're your parents…and you would have regrets later if we didn't invite them. Remember?"

Callie rolls her eyes and turns around in my arms, planting feather-light kisses all over my face. I grab her face and start to deepen the kiss when suddenly Mark bursts through the door with Sophia.

"Knocking…what happened to the knocking?" I ask, pulling away from Callie.

Then I hear the reason he practically broke the door down when he entered with such abrupt force. Our little peanut is screaming…and I mean screaming. Not crying like all babies do for certain reasons…not a hungry, dirty diaper, or tired cry. A scream. Something is bothering her…something is wrong. I immediately shift from angry and annoyed to worried and afraid, Callie obviously feeling the same as evidenced by the look of terror written on her face.

"Come here baby girl," she says as she walks towards Mark and Sophia. "Come to Mama."

Callie takes Sophia into her arms and immediately the screaming stops. I approach the now calming baby and run my fingers through her hair, whispering, "Shh peanut, shhh…you're ok. Your home with me and Mama." My heart breaks as Sophia struggles to catch her breath, still sobbing with tears running down that sweet face.

"What the hell happened Mark?" I ask not so nicely. I can't help it…I am overprotective of my little girl, not to mention Mark is an idiot and has the potential to let something really stupid happen.

"Nothing…I don't know," he replies. "She was fine until she woke up from her nap. When I went to get her, she looked around kinda funny and just started screaming. I picked her up but that only made it worse. I tried everything…she wasn't wet, she wouldn't take the bottle…I don't get it," he finished, hanging his head in defeat.

"Arizona," Callie calls to me. "Check her…make sure she's ok. What if it's her heart and…"

"Calm down Cal, it's not her heart. It may feel like that to her…cause she's nervous and afraid, but really she's ok. It's just a classic case of stranger anxiety," I inform her.

"Stranger anxiety" Mark yells, highly offended. "I'm not a stranger, I'm her dad."

"Relax Mark…I didn't mean that _you_ are a stranger," I say as I roll my eyes. "It's just an expression. Babies experience this kind of anxiety when they see a new face…or lots of people try to hold them…or they wake up somewhere that's not home. Don't take it personally…just try to stay calm if it happens again. The way you look right now I can tell you've been anything but calm…and Sophia can sense that you know."

"Yeah, I guess I did kind of panic," Mark admits looking more at Callie than me. "I just thought something was wrong with her. "

"It's ok Mark," Callie says as she gently rocks our daughter back and forth in her arms. "She's ok now. Maybe we can bring her over to your place a little more during the week, instead of you always coming here to visit. That way, it will seem more familiar to her."

We decide that for tonight, maybe it's best if we go over to Mark's and stay with Sophia, neither one of us wanting to risk getting her that upset again. So Callie brings over all the ingredients for the fabulous dinner she had planned, and we hang out across the hall for the night. When we return home, Sophia is already asleep…probably exhausted herself with all that crying. I lay her down in the crib, stroking her cheek with the back of my hand. I can see Callie watching from the doorway and I motion for her to join me.

"Goodnight little peanut," she whispers to Sophia, leading me out of the nursery as she turns off the light.

We sit down on the couch, taking a minute to just relax with one another. Callie pulls me into her lap, pushing a stray hair out of my face before leaning in to kiss me.

"What was that for?" I ask. "Not that I'm complaining," I add, flashing her a smile.

"For being such a great mom…for always knowing what's wrong with our baby, and for always calming me down when I worry so much," Callie says as she leans in for another kiss.

Again, as I start to deepen the kiss…we are interrupted. This time, there's a knock however.

"At least he learned his lesson," I say with a laugh, getting out of Callie's lap so I can answer the door.

When I open the door, I am shocked to see that it's not Mark standing there…it's my dad. I smile brightly when I snap out of my shocked state, practically leaping into his arms and squeezing him tight. Callie, also very shocked to see my dad, gets up and comes to join us. My dad kisses her cheek, telling her how happy he is to see us both.

"Dad, what are you doing here?" I question, "I thought you weren't gonna be here until tomorrow. And where's Mom?"

"Right here," a voice calls from the hallway. "Just forgot something in the car hunny," she says as she pushes my dad out of the way to get to me. "Oh, my baby…come here and let me take a look at you," she says with tears in her eyes. "Arizona, it's been way too long since we've see you. I just didn't want to wait another minute, so we decided to drive straight through instead of stopping over somewhere tonight…I hope you don't mind." Then, pulling Callie in for a group hug, she says, "I'm so glad you girls are both alright…and I'm so excited about this wedding."

Then I notice her eyes wandering around the apartment and can't help but ask, "Something wrong Mom? You don't like our place?" She shakes her head no, laughing a bit and smiling at my father. She continues surveying the room like there's something wrong, like something's missing. "What Mom," I practically yell at her this time.

"I'm just wondering where my granddaughter is, that's all," she says as her own dimples appear.

Her granddaughter. I don't know why, but I feel such a strong sense of pride when I hear her say that. Sometimes I still can't believe that I'm her mother, and hearing my own mom acknowledge Sophia as a part of the family reaffirms that she is _my_ baby too.

I look to Callie for permission to get the baby, even though she is sleeping. I am met with the most beautiful smile and she nods her head in the direction of the nursery. "I'll deal with a cranky baby before I say no to two sets of dimples. Oh boy am I gonna be in trouble when we have a mini Arizona someday," she says.

My dad puts his arm around her and shakes his head in agreement. "Oh, you have no idea what this one did to me when she was a little girl…still has me wrapped around her finger," he says.

Callie laughs and tells him she understands, that I've managed to wrap her around my finger too. I love how well my dad and Callie get along. It's funny because he does all the things with her that he used to do with Danny….they talk sports and shoot pool and drink whiskey together. When I told him that Callie and I were getting married, he said it was a good thing because if I didn't marry her he would kick my ass.

"Barbara, Daniel…can I get you something to drink? How about dinner? Did you eat?" I can hear Callie asking them as I enter Sophia's room.

"No Callie, we're fine," my mom says to her. "We stopped off for dinner a couple hours ago."

I try not to wake Sophia as I lift her out of the crib, placing her into my arms and whispering, "Sorry to disturb you my little sleeping beauty…but there are two people here who really want to meet you."

I walk back out into the living room, giggling as I see my mother about to pounce on me once she gets a look at Sophia.

"Oh Arizona, she's beautiful," my mom says as I gently pass Sophia into her loving arms. "Callie, she is just gorgeous…spitting image of her mama. And what a lucky little girl to have _two_ wonderful mothers."

Callie looks at me when my mother says this and smiles…God that smile is so beautiful, it takes my breath away every time. I stand beside her and grab her hand, linking our fingers together. My dad looks on from behind my mom, smiling and patting me on the back. Again, I feel so very proud.

My parents stay for a while…Mom just holding Sophia, admiring every feature on her new granddaughter's face. I'm so lucky to have them…never once have they questioned my decisions when it came to Callie or the baby. They've known for a while now that Callie is "the one" for me, and were almost as pissed at me as she was when I left for Africa. After I came back and found out Callie was pregnant, I was afraid to tell my parents…afraid they would be angry with Callie for sleeping with Mark, afraid they wouldn't support my decision to stay with her and raise someone else's baby. On the contrary…when I told them what had happened my mom was just too excited about the baby to care about anything else, and my dad told me I was lucky Callie took me back and hoped neither one of us would screw things up again. I know they both love Callie, because she is amazing of course…but mostly because they know how much I love her, how happy she makes me. So they have embraced my role as Sophia's mother, and will embrace their role as her grandparents.

Sophia wakes up and Callie decides to nurse her, saying good night to my folks and taking the baby into our bedroom. My mom gives Sophia one more kiss, Callie smiling as she sees just how taken she is with our sweet baby. My dad yells to my mother that they'd better get going too, apparently wanting to check in to their hotel and unpack so he can sleep. I'm not surprised he's tired, especially after such a long drive.

I walk them down to the lobby, thanking them for being here even though I know there's no way on earth they would miss my wedding.

"I'm just glad we got to spend some time with you before all the madness begins," my dad says. "See you in the morning sweetie. Ten o'clock, right?"

"Yup, ten for brunch," I say to him, leaning in to give him another huge hug. "Then you are going to go with Carlos and Mark to get their tuxedos while us girls get to meet with the florist, pick up our dresses, and all that stuff. Then we all meet back at our place for dinner and a very laid back rehearsal."

I can see the look on my dad's face, even though I'm pretty sure he's trying to hide it…it's gonna be hectic and he knows it.

"I know Dad, it's a lot….but Callie's parents can only stay for a few days, so we had to cram everything in. I promise you a glass of whiskey with the most beautiful woman in the world at the end of the night…I'm pretty sure Callie's gonna need that drink too."

We all laugh, happy to be together despite all the upcoming craziness. I kiss and hug them both one last time before saying goodnight. I head back upstairs to find Callie asleep in our bed, Sophia lying in her arms with a tight grasp on her mama's finger. I just stand there and stare at them for a few minutes before finally deciding it's time to make a move. I try not to wake Callie as I gently take Sophia and tuck her in back in the nursery. When I return to our room, Callie is propped up on her elbow with a huge grin on her face.

"Sorry, didn't mean to wake you," I say to her. But Sophia really shouldn't sleep in our bed just yet…though you two looked so beautiful, it was tempting just to sit up all night and watch you sleep."

"I love you," Callie blurts out, jumping out of bed and pulling me into a loving embrace. "And I love your parents. I'm so glad they showed up tonight…a good surprise for a change. Your mom was so smitten with Sophia…they are going to be such great grandparents." She hugs me again then pulls back to look in my eyes, conveying all the happiness and love in her heart. I capture her full lips with mine, running my hands through her gorgeous black curls.

"Calliope…this is going to be the last night I get to sleep with you as your fiancé," I whisper. "Tomorrow night I'm staying with my parents…you wanted traditional, remember? So I don't know about you, but I think you should get that incredibly sexy ass back in our bed so we can make love and fall asleep in each other's arms. Tomorrow's gonna be one hell of a day…and well, we both know you need your beauty rest."

"Shut up Arizona," she says, slapping me on the backside as she pulls me in for another round of passionate kisses. We make love and Callie quickly fall asleep afterwards, her long legs wrapped around me…her arm draped across me and her lips grazing my shoulder. I know tomorrow is going to be absolutely insane…that we will be aggravated and tired and probably won't enjoy most of it. But lying here in her arms, it's all worth it.

**Chapter 13**

**Callie's POV:**

After a wonderful night's sleep wrapped up in my beautiful Arizona, I awoke with a positive attitude about the day ahead of us. One last day for preparation and finishing touches on our hopefully perfect wedding. One last day as an engaged couple before Arizona and I say our vows and become wives. I never imagined my life turning out the way it has…certainly never imagined marrying a woman. But my God, I look at her and know I would never change a thing. Arizona is the love of my life, the best person I know, a wonderful partner and mother. I am truly blessed, and I can only hope that my family finally sees what it is we have together…that it doesn't matter that we are two women getting married in a garden instead of a church…that none of it matters as long as we love one another and commit to a lifetime together.

I am in a trance, thinking all of this over while studying my gorgeous fiancé as she sleeps. I know I should have woken her up a half hour ago…but she just looks so peaceful, I hate to interrupt whatever good dream she is having. I can hear Sophia stirring on the monitor and decide that she can be the one to wake her mommy up. I run to the nursery, change her diaper, and nurse her for a while…by now, I've definitely let Arizona have enough extra sleep. I carry Sophia into our bedroom and plop her down on the bed next to Arizona. As usual, our little peanut grabs a fistful of her mommy's hair and yanks playfully, cooing and smiling as she does it.

"Ouch…nice wake up call Calliope," Arizona says with a playful grin. "Good morning baby girl…you know, it's not nice to pull Mommy's hair. If you want to yank on your mama's…well, that's a different story."

"Good morning almost wife," I say as I lean in for a kiss. "You might want to get that cute butt out of bed…everyone will be here in a couple hours."

"Ugh…ok," she grunts. "But kiss me again first…I'm gonna need it to get through today."

I lay down on the other side of Sophia, sliding the baby down so I can lean over her and give Arizona a very juicy kiss. She closes her eyes and smiles…then abruptly gets up and kisses Sophia before heading to the shower. I wish I could join her…but between the baby and the impending guests, it's not gonna happen. So I get Sophia all dolled up…want to make sure she looks perfect to meet her other grandparents. I don't know why I'm so nervous about my parents seeing her…of course they'll love her, who wouldn't? She's perfect. Nevertheless, I put her in an adorable blue dress that Arizona bought last week. I really have to stop this woman from buying every article of baby clothing she sees.

When Arizona is done in the bathroom, I pass the baby to her and take a quick shower myself…knowing my mother, she will show up at least twenty minutes early. And I'm right…as soon as I get dressed, I hear a knock on the door. Knowing Arizona is nervous about meeting my mom for the first time, I give her a quick kiss and tell her to relax. "It's going to be fine babe…she's gonna love you," I tell her. "You've already won my dad over…besides, you can always hold the baby to gain extra leverage. Don't know a single person who isn't a sucker for a beautiful blonde with a beautiful baby." Arizona chuckles nervously, then pushes me toward the living room when we hear another, louder knock.

"Coming," I holler as I walk to the door. I take a deep breath and open it, feeling anxious and excited when I see my parents on the other side. "Mama, Daddy…come in," I say. They enter and we exchange hugs and kisses. My dad's embrace is warm and loving…but my mother…well, she is obviously reserved. She barely looks me in the eye when she says hello, and her hug is lack luster to say the least.

"Mama, this is Arizona," I say, pulling my fiancé towards us.

"Hi Mrs. Torres," Arizona says, extending her hand. "It's so nice to finally meet you. Callie and I are just so glad you could both be here to share our special day with us."

"Special…yes, well I suppose that's one word we could use to describe a lesbian wedding." As soon as my mother says those words, my heart sinks. Not just because it hurts me…but because I can already see the smile on Arizona's face fading.

Luckily, my dad steps in and gives Arizona a hug. "It's nice to see you again Arizona. From what I understand, my daughter has been a lucky woman to have you by her side during the last few months."

"I'm the lucky one," Arizona says, her smile coming back. "I'm just so happy to have Calliope and our baby alive and well…and even happier I get to make your daughter my wife tomorrow." That's right Arizona…don't let anyone bring you down baby, I think to myself, feeling slightly empowered.

I decide to change the subject for now, wanting to stay in my calm state for as long as possible. "Sophia is sleeping, but if you want I can show you the nursery…that way you can sneak a peek at her," I say, gesturing for them to follow me as I head towards the nursery.

"No," my mother firmly interjects, causing me to stop in my tracks. "Let the child sleep."

I feel my blood beginning to boil at this statement. "The child…you mean, your grandchild?" I ask. "You know, you may not want to acknowledge my relationship with Arizona, but Sophia is my daughter…your flesh and blood."

I f looks could kill…well, I think I would be dead after seeing the disgust in my mother's eyes. I feel the tension rising with every second and I am about to lose it. Thank God, before I say anything else…Arizona is standing beside me, her hand on my back to lend quiet support.

"Our daughter is beautiful Mrs. Torres…once you meet her, you will fall in love. It's impossible not to," Arizona says with a smile. I can tell she is gritting her teeth behind that grin, but I love her for trying.

"Let me ask you a question young lady," my mother says while pointing her finger at Arizona. Oh no, this is gonna get ugly.

"Lucia," my father says, grabbing her arm in an attempt to get her to keep her mouth shut.

"It's ok Carlos," Arizona says. "I can handle anything she has to say….answer any questions she may have." I grab a hold of her hand and give her a lingering kiss…at this point, I want to piss my mother off. Plus, I am so in love with this woman right now…taking on my mother the way she is…it's just so incredibly sexy.

"Alright then," Mama says to her. "We'll see about that. What I was going to say is, how can you call this child _yours? _I mean, biology aside…didn't my daughter screw her male friend when you two were only broken up for a few months. Doesn't that make you question her sexuality? Or her feelings about you? I mean, I just don't understand how you could want to raise a child that Callie made with someone else. Even I find my daughter reprehensible for getting knocked up the way she did…I certainly don't know how you can pretend to be alright with it and love this baby."

I am ready to pounce on my mother at this point…how dare she talk to Arizona that way? I just want to slap her in the face, I am that mad. But before I can get violent, Arizona takes her turn to slap my mother…verbally.

"First of all Mrs. Torres…person I just met only minutes ago, person who doesn't know me at all and certainly doesn't seem to know her own daughter at all…first of all, I am not pretending anything. Was I happy that Callie slept with Mark and got pregnant? No. But it wouldn't have happened if I didn't run away to Africa…leave her in an airport…bail on her. She was hurting and it happened…no one is proud of that but the blame is on all of us involved, and we have forgiven each other for the mistakes we've made. Your daughter is the most faithful and loyal partner I have ever had…and luckily after tomorrow, I will get to have her for the rest of my life. Second, I have never…nor will I ever have to pretend to _love_ my daughter. That's right, _my_ daughter," Arizona says as my mother raises her eyebrows at her choice of words. "Sophia has been my baby since I decided to do this with Callie…and from the moment I laid eyes on her, I was in love. Just like any new mom would be. You may not understand it or believe it…but biology doesn't mean shit. To the person who it matters to the most…to Sophia….I am her mommy and nothing is ever going to change that."

Arizona is exasperated after her long, angry rant. I look at her and see that she is about to break. No matter how righteous my "good man in a storm" may be, she always cracks after standing up to someone…all that passion and emotion has to be unleashed, so she usually cries. Another cry fills the air and saves my poor Arizona from having to hold herself together any longer.

"I'm going to go get _my _daughter now," Arizona says as she looks right into my mother's eyes. She turns and looks into my eyes, her blue orbs filling with tears already.

In this moment, I hate my mother. I know she is pissed because I'm bisexual…that I'm choosing to marry a woman, which according to her goes against God and the church. I know she is pissed because I got pregnant out of wedlock…that I am choosing not to marry my baby's father. She is old fashioned and set in her ways…I don't like it, but I get it. What I don't get though, is how she can't look past all of that and see _me_, her daughter. I've made mistakes…but I'm accepting responsibility for them, embracing them even. And I love Arizona…have never felt this way about another human being in my life. Don't I deserve that? Doesn't she want me to be happy? I shake my head at her furiously, tears now filling my own eyes.

"I am so disappointed in you Mama," I say to her honestly. "I knew this wasn't going to be easy with you, but I thought…I thought you would at least try…for me. That you would at least love Sophia. God, I hope I never make her feel the way you just made me feel. And Arizona…she, she doesn't deserve this. Do you have any idea what that woman has been through since we got into the car accident? Oh yeah…the car accident. Remember? The one where I almost died. God, what a moron I was to think that you would just be so happy to see me…so happy that I am alive and well…that you would get over all the other crap and just be here for me this once. "

When I finish, my mother starts ranting in Spanish about how being hurt doesn't excuse the lifestyle I am choosing…how the accident never would have happened had I not been in this position in the first place. Mama just keeps going on and on, throwing more insults my way every minute. My father tries to get her to calm down, saying she should get to know Arizona…that she always wanted to be a grandmother. But it's no use…she's clearly made up her mind and just keeps lashing out at me.

Then Arizona comes back in with a very hungry Sophia and says, "Enough!" while covering the baby's ears. "We are not going to yell and scream…in any language…in front of her. Just….enough."

And right on cue, there is a knock at the door. I motion for my dad to open it and he is greeted by a very happy couple…Barbara and Daniel are right on time, all smiles for the busy day ahead of us. They introduce themselves to my parents, completely unaware of what's transpired before their arrival.

"Oh, there's my little angel," Barbara practically sings as she rushes over to grab Sophia and shower her with kisses. "I missed you…oh, I couldn't wait to come see you again. You're such a pretty girl in your blue dress. Did your mommy pick this out? Blue was always her favorite color."

"Why can't you be like that Mama," I say, unable to hold back my feelings. "Why can't you just accept us…and love us. Is that really too much to ask?" My father tries to comfort me as I start to cry, but I pull away from him and step into the kitchen to warm up a bottle for Sophia.

Seeing me so hurt and upset, Arizona cannot keep her own tears at bay. Barbara and Daniel exchange a look, just now noticing that things have not been going well, and they take a firm stand beside their daughter. Barbara keeps Sophia protectively against her chest, while the Colonel puts his arm around Arizona. They are a military family…and in this moment, they are ready for combat against anyone who stands to threaten that family. This battle is far from over…and if there's going to be a war, I know which side I am on.

I walk back out into the living room and stand with the Robbins' clan, taking my stance on the other side of Arizona. Her head in hung in sorrow and disappointment, but I lift her chin so that her eyes meet mine. I need her to know that it's ok…that we're ok….that no matter what my family says or thinks, I am with her. No doubt in my mind,…and I don't ever want there to be a doubt in hers. Just to make sure she understands…I kiss her as I look deep into those teary blue eyes.

Then I look back across the room and say, "I think you should go now. It's clear you don't want to be here anyway." I look directly at my mother when I say this last part.

"Mija," my dad interjects, "let's all just calm down…we can work this out."

"No Carlos," my mother says pointedly. "She's right. I said I would try, but….but I can't do this. Good luck Calliope…I hope God can forgive you for this."

She leaves without a second glance, and my father apologizes for her behavior and says he will talk to her. He always says that…but he will never go against my mother, and sadly I don't think she will ever change. I tell him goodbye, that I love him. He makes me promise to call him, to send pictures of the wedding and of Sophia. Arizona bring Sophia over to him…he says goodbye to her before he has even really met her.

When I close the door behind him, there is a part of me that just wants to shatter…to scream and cry, to be angry and upset. But I can't do that…I don't want to do that. Instead, I do what my heart tells me to do. I hold my baby girls in my arms and feed her, while my future in-laws help my soon to be wife set the table for our rehearsal dinner. As they say, the show must go on…and my wedding with the woman I love is one show I don't want to miss.

**Chapter 14**

**Arizona's POV:**

This is it….our big day. A day where the people we love, family and friends, will come to share in the our happiness…to celebrate the commitment Calliope and I are making to one another…to celebrate _love_. I should be nothing but happy this morning, but after last night…well, it's hard to be completely happy when I can see the sadness in my Calliope's beautiful eyes. She is trying so hard to be strong…to keep going and be happy. But no matter how happy she may be about marrying me, about the day we've planned for so long…the happiness is tainted with the fact that her parents are missing such an important part of her life, that they won't be there to support her, that they won't be there for Sophia.

My heart breaks a little as I look down at Callie, sound asleep after a fitful night of tossing and turning. Originally, I was supposed to spend the night at the hotel with my parents…keeping with tradition and all. But after the incident with my mother-in-law last night, I told Callie that there was no way in hell I was leaving her. She didn't argue…I guess tradition went right out the door with her mother. Someday that evil woman is going to look back on this…on the fact that she missed her daughter's wedding…missed her granddaughter's childhood…and have regrets. But you can't teach someone a lesson they haven't learned. I just hate that Calliope has to be the one to suffer. She has suffered enough this past year. We all have…and today was supposed to be our moment in the sun, our time to shine. Since last night, the sparkle has left her eyes…the smile seems forced. I sure hope I can change that before the ceremony…more than anything, I want her to be happy today.

"Good morning beautiful," I whisper in Callie's ear when I notice her eyes starting to flutter. "I know last night wasn't perfect…but I am going to try my hardest to make sure that today is. Because to me, you are perfect." I brush a lock of hair out of her eyes and tuck it behind her ear, running my hand along her jaw line until I reach her chin, lifting her face to look at mine. I need her to see how absolutely in love with her I am, how much I adore her.

"Today won't be perfect Arizona," Callie says as she laces her fingers through mine, squeezing my hand. My heart sinks when she says this and I look away from her for a second. But she quickly reassures me, ducking her head so her gorgeous brown eyes look directly into mine…into me. "Today won't be perfect because my parents won't be at our wedding. But that doesn't mean it's not going to be the best day of my life…of our lives," Callie says, a brilliant smile playing on her lips. I have to kiss her…so I lean down and cover her lips with mine, pouring my soul into that kiss.

"I love you," I say simply. "And I'm so sorry your parents won't be a part of our day…I wish I could change that. If you think that she will come around…I mean, if you think you just need more time to talk with her…we can wait, the wedding can wait Cal."

"No," she says, cutting me off and giving me her "don't mess with me" look. "Today is our day…we have planned this for months. No one is going to ruin this for us. Of course I will be a little sad that Mark has to walk me down the aisle instead of my dad…sad that my mother won't be here to fix my veil and calm my nerves…but today is still going to be the happiest day…because I get to marry _you." _

Callie then kisses me with so much love and passion, it literally takes my breath away. I deepen the kiss, running my hands down until they reach her hips. I grab her and pull her body towards me until we are pressed together. I can feel her whole body start to heat up, and she lets out a sigh of pleasure as I rub up against her in all the right places. We strip down in a frenzy, needing to feel skin…wanting no barriers between us. Lying face to face, our naked forms fit perfectly together, we start kissing again. Calliope's full lips feel so good against my mine, and I open them to allow her tongue to enter my mouth. We caress one another, tongues dueling for control…the kisses are slow but hard, emphasizing the love and desire we have for one another. I know if we don't stop now that we'll never want to, so I pull back just enough to look into Callie's eyes. We gaze at each other for a moment, then I wrap my arms around my lover and breathe into her ear, "As much as I want you right now baby…I will want you even more later when you are my wife."

Callie looks at me, tears filling her eyes at my words. "Your wife," she repeats. "That sounds so amazing."

"Yes, it does. Being your wife sounds so amazing," I say as I lean in for one last kiss. "Now, I think I should get out of here because you…naked in front of me…getting harder to resist every minute. And I have a wedding to get to."

Callie laughs and in this moment, she looks genuinely happy. I gather everything I need for the day and load up my car so I can head to the hotel. When I come back up to our place, Callie is nursing Sophia and talking to Cristina on the phone. Since her mom isn't going to be around today, Callie has enlisted the help of her former roommate. Not the person I would want on my wedding day, but they have this weird connection…they get each other and I think she will keep Calliope calm. I wait for Sophia to finish, then snatch her away from her mama so I can get in a few minutes of cuddling before I leave. It never ceases to amaze me just how much I miss this tiny person when I'm away from her. Today is different though…because after I marry her mama, we will feel even more like a family.

I know that legally, my marriage to Calliope will not have any bearing on my relationship to Sophia…but for me, it gives me a connection to her that is deeper and more meaningful than just being her mother's girlfriend. Mark, Callie, and I have also set up some legal documents, which we will be signing after the ceremony today, that will include me as a third parent and give me visitation rights should anything happen. I am not worried at all that something will happen between me and Callie, but after the accident we wanted to make sure that God forbid something ever happened to Callie, Mark couldn't just take Sophia away from me. Not that I think he would…but having some paperwork to prove it will be nice.

I tell Sophia all about the wedding…how she is going to have so much fun seeing all her favorite people, that she is going to look so pretty in her flower girl dress, that her mama is going to be the most beautiful bride on earth. The baby seems to be listening intently, looking into my eyes adoringly. I just melt every time she looks at me this way…like I'm her mommy and she loves me. Reluctantly, I have to pass Sophia back to Callie so I can meet my parents for a quick brunch before we all start getting ready for today. She cries a little when I walk away from her, leaning towards me with her bottom lip forming a little pout. I am such a sucker….I go back and hug her again, probably making it worse for the both of us…not to mention Callie, who is going to be with her until Mark gets back from picking up his tux.

"Sorry, Cal," I say as I place the crying baby back into her arms. "I just couldn't resist that sad little face."

"I know…she's too cute for her own good," Callie says. "But go…because she seems to be ok right now. Plus, I already miss you too…and you don't want both of your babies crying for you, do you?"

I shake my head no, then kiss them both and leave quickly. My head is spinning just thinking about the next time I will see my girls…I can't even imagine how beautiful Calliope is going to look in a white gown. The woman could wear a paper bag and still look amazing. I can't get the smile off my face as I drive to the hotel…four hours and Calliope Torres will be my wife…mine forever.

**Callie's POV:**

The garden club where we are having our wedding looks so beautiful. The florist just arrived with the flowers for the ceremony…our bouquets, boutonnieres for the guys, and corsages for the moms. Oh wait…mom. I know my mom is being stupid…that she's wrong and so is my dad for not defending me more…but it still sucks. No one ever pictures their wedding day without their parents…no one imagines their baby's dad walking them down the aisle instead of their own…and certainly no one ever imagines Cristina Yang helping them get dressed instead of their mama. She has been a big help to me today, but good lord…this woman is not cut out for this. The hairdresser had to fix my hair twice after Cristina attempted to put the veil in…my dress almost got ripped when she couldn't get the zipper up…and I'm starving because all she brought for our wedding brunch was a box of stale cereal from her cupboard. I tell send her to find me something a little more substantial…don't want to pass out when I walk down the aisle.

Standing there alone, looking at the rows of chairs adorned with pink and white ribbon…I start to feel nervous for the first time today. I always knew I would feel this way…I hate being the center of attention, having to speak in front of people…not to mention I'm about to make the biggest commitment of my life. Suddenly, I want my mother…the mother who doesn't support me, doesn't think I am doing the right thing…the mother who truly believes I am going against God my marrying a woman. Is she right? I mean, I know Arizona is the one for me…my soul mate. But should I be marrying her? Does God even believe in this marriage? If he doesn't, am I slapping him in the face by calling this union a marriage…by having a wedding? I feel the panic rising within me, my chest tightening as I ponder the ramifications of my actions. Then suddenly…a hand on my shoulder causes me to turn around. It's Bailey.

"Hey Callie," she says. "Everything looks perfect. Well, except you. No, no, I didn't mean you don't look perfect. You look beautiful. I just mean….you look nervous as hell woman You alright?"

"Nope…nervous as hell," I tell her. "I just…I hope I'm making the right decision. I mean…you believe in God, right? Do you think…am I going against God by doing this?" I ask her.

"Callie, what's this about?" she asks me, a concerned look on her face. Cause somehow I don't think this is about Arizona. Is it? Your not having doubts about her…are you? Because that woman…well, that woman loves you something fierce and if you don't feel the same way, if you're not sure…"

I stop her before she can go any further. "No…I'm sure. In fact, I've never been more sure about something…about someone in my whole life. It's just…well, how do I put this. For her…for Arizona…she's always been with women, never been attracted to men…she was born that way, it was never a choice for her." Bailey looks confused. "For me," I continue, "well it's not like that. I like men…I mean, find them appealing sexually…and for most of my life, being with men was just fine. Even when I dated Erica, I still felt like I needed that…sex with men. And I slept with Mark…and it was still good. I don't consider myself a lesbian I guess. So, I think maybe I feel like because for me it's a choice…I don't only like women, I don't dislike men…that maybe it's wrong for me to _choose_ a woman."

"But you love Arizona, don't you?" Bailey asks, putting a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"More than anything," I quickly answer. "I love her so much…but that doesn't mean God is ok with us getting married. I mean, I want to be with her….I need to be with her. That's not going to change. I guess I'm just wondering whether getting married like this is the right thing to do."

"How did you know Arizona was the one for you?" Bailey asks, snapping me out of my deep thoughts.

"What?" I say…now I am the one confused.

"How did you know she was the one?" Bailey asks, a smile forming on her face.

"Well," I say, "I've never felt this way with anyone else. From the beginning, I knew she was different…being with her, I felt complete. And when I wasn't with her…the times we were apart…I missed her so much I couldn't breathe…nothing made me feel better…and sleeping with Mark, well it was horrible because it was just sex. For the first time in my life, I hated sex because with Arizona I had finally experienced making love. I used to think that was bullshit…that even if you loved someone, sex was sex….but with her, I learned that it didn't have to be that way…that when you _really _love someone, that your soul is in it, not just your body."

"That's love Callie," Bailey said, interrupting my little speech. "And God is love. The God I believe in wants us all to have that kind of love…whether it's with a man or a _woman_. From everything you just told me, maybe you could choose not to be with a woman…but you couldn't choose not to love Arizona. And you shouldn't have to. God wouldn't want that. So embrace it…have your dream wedding, marry the person you want to share your life with. You two have gone through so much to get here…I think even God knows you deserve this."

I can't stop the tears from falling. Everything Bailey said is true. I don't know why I ever doubted myself…my decision to get married. I love Arizona and I want her to be my wife….no matter what my mother or anyone else thinks. And I will continue to have faith in the God that saved my relationship when I begged him to…who saved my daughter when I cried to him…who has made me happier than I've ever been by bringing Arizona Robbins into my life.

I start to laugh…knowing I've been silly and freaking out on poor Bailey. She laughs with me, wiping my tears with a tissue so my makeup doesn't get smudged. Just then I see Mark getting out of the limo with Sophia. She is all dolled up in her white flower girl dress, little pink and white frilly socks that match the sash on the dress. Her beautiful black curls are clipped with a pink and white bow that Arizona picked out. Tears form in my eyes again…but this time they are tears of joy. I am gonna be a mess when I see Arizona. I wonder how she'll look….what her gown is like…how she'll wear her hair. I smile to myself, knowing she will look gorgeous and that in just a few moments, she will be walking down the aisle towards me to become my wife.

**Chapter 15**

**Callie's POV:**

I hardly remember Mark walking me down the aisle. A moment ago, it seemed like the longest walk ever…all of our friends staring at me as I meandered down a pink runner in the middle of a garden…now that I have reached the alter, I can't even remember the walk. All I can think about is the beautiful woman coming towards me, her arm linked with her daddy's. Daniel looks so handsome and prestigious in his uniform, he compliments his daughter nicely…a mixture of pride and sadness radiating from his face as he is about to give his little girl away. I try to take in every detail of her as she approaches…her porcelain skin against the ivory gown, the flower in her beautiful loose curls, her gorgeous blue eyes…those eyes that are sparkling just for me today, those eyes that see into my soul. Any doubts I had earlier about God accepting this union have left my mind for good…I can feel Him in the air, the sky, the trees…I can see Him in the love reflected in those clear, blue eyes…God is here.

By the time Arizona reaches me at the alter, the tears in my eyes are threatening to escape, and I see the same look of love and happiness in her. Daniel leans in to give his baby girl a kiss before passing her hand off to mine, placing a tender kiss on my cheek. I take my love's hand and we go up a step to stand before Bailey. Arizona is so stunning, it almost hurts to look at her. Her gown is gorgeous, her hair perfect…but it's not that, it's just her. She is beautiful…she's always beautiful…but today, she takes my breath away.

Mark walks Sophia down to us from his seat in the front row, taking her to Arizona first since she hasn't seen her yet. We each take a turn to kiss our little girl, then Mark takes her back to the bench and sits down. Miranda Bailey starts the ceremony as one would start a typical wedding, addressing all the guests who have gathered to share in our special day. I know I should be listening to her…this is my wedding…but I can't stop looking at Arizona, feeling her without even touching her…it's hard to concentrate on what's being said. She must be feeling the same way because every now and then she breaks eye contact with me to glance at Bailey, then gives up and just stares back into my eyes all over again. We are truly getting lost in one another…then Sophia cries. Everyone stops and looks toward the baby….we start to laugh and everyone joins us. Mark stands up and walks off to the side, rocking Sophia gently until she settles down. I lean in to Arizona and whisper, "I think she was telling us we should pay attention." The smile on her face could light up the whole world, those dimples melting my heart all over again.

Bailey proceeds with the ceremony, letting everyone know it is time for us to recite our vows. Early on, Arizona wanted us to write our own vows. I was unsure because I have a serious fear of speaking in front of a crowd, but decided I would do it for her. Now that the time has come, I don't think the crowd is even going to factor in…the only person I see is the beautiful woman before me. Arizona gives me a questioning look when Miranda asks who was going to go first, but I shake my head to let her know I'm ok…that I'll go. We place our bouquets on the bench behind us, and I take Arizona's hands in mine as soon as I can get a hold of them. I may need her as a lifeline to get through this. I take a deep breath and close my eyes for a moment, before opening them to look into the magnificent set before me. Arizona's eyes are such a beautiful blue…looking into them is like looking into the ocean…they're endless and always make me feel so at peace. I had practiced what I was going to say, afraid I would forget something or fumble my words…suddenly, standing here before her, it doesn't seem to matter. I speak from my heart to hers.

"Arizona…there is so much I want to say to you today, everyday. I don't really even know where to start…so I'll start at the beginning. Three years ago, I was having the worst night of my life…my life was spiraling out of control yet again…I was feeling so hopeless, so alone. Then out of nowhere, you appeared…turning my life around with one kiss. You gave me hope, made me feel alive again…I fell so in love with you, everything about you…the magic you create for your patients, the crazy way you ramble when your nervous, your infectious laugh, those dimples and your beautiful eyes. But I was scared that it wasn't real…that maybe you were just a beautiful stranger who made my worst day better…that maybe you didn't feel the same way. Then I planned a stupid birthday party and Wallace died…and you came home miserable and exhausted and told me you loved me…on your worst day, you told me you loved me too. And I knew we were made for each other…that we would always be there for one another, making our worst days better and our great days pure perfection. We've had our share of problems…ups and downs, but love has always been there. I have never loved anyone the way that I love you…and I feel so incredibly blessed to be sharing my life with you. Our daughter is so incredibly lucky to have you as her mommy, and I am so incredibly lucky to have you as my wife. Te amo con todo mi Corazon, Siempre voy a volver para que."

When I am finished, I can't help but place a tender kiss on Arizona's hand as I wipe the tears from both of our eyes. She has to catch her breath for a minute before she can speak, but I know she is ready when she looks up at me and smiles.

"Calliope," Arizona says as she weaves her fingers through mine. "Everything you just said is so true…we complete each other…life is better when we're together. We ended up together…in the same place…even though the journey has been so different for each of us. You have always been chasing love, while I have been avoiding it. I came to Seattle so I wouldn't have to feel…wouldn't have to grieve for my brother…wouldn't have to connect with anyone on an emotional level. I was determined to be the best pediatric attending Seattle Grace had ever seen and keep everything professional. Then I laid eyes on this gorgeous woman with big chocolate brown eyes that could melt anyone's heart, the most beautiful black hair…it's almost blue sometimes…but anyway, I saw you and any plan I had of being professional went right out the window. You were so amazing, but you didn't know it…so I just had to show you. So I followed you into a dirty bar bathroom and kissed you…that was the moment my life began. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't _not_ feel when I was with you. Every emotion I ever tried to hide came out when I was with you…it was like my soul just couldn't keep a secret from yours. You made me laugh, made me cry…challenged me and pushed me, then pulled me in and loved me. I lost all control and fell madly in love with you. But when things got hard…when I was afraid you might not love me enough, not want me enough…I, I got scared…and I ran away, a few times. But, but…I came back, every time…I came back…for you. Because I can't live without you…because you make me want to feel. I _do _feel, everyday with you and Sophia…I feel love and happiness. I am the lucky one Calliope…you've given me a life that I never knew I wanted…a beautiful daughter who I love more than anything. And now here, today…you are giving me the chance to call you mine forever. I don't know a whole lot of Spanish…but, I love you too Calliope…with all my heart."

Now the tears are freely flowing down my cheeks…hearing Arizona pour her heart out to me, in front of all these people…just makes me fall in love even more, all over again. It's funny how even though we express our love for one another all the time, in a million different ways…it feels different today, to say it out loud, to let the whole world know the secret in our hearts. After drying my eyes yet again, I look up to see another gorgeous smile on Arizona's face as Bailey announces it's time for the rings.

We decided to keep our wedding bands simple…neither one of us can wear a lot of jewelry because of surgery so we didn't do the big fancy diamonds either. That's just not us. We went together to pick out the rings…white gold bands with diamond cuts, engraved with each other's initials on the inside. Bailey gives us the rings, and we take turns placing them on each other's fingers…saying the traditional, "_With these rings, I thee wed._" Looking at Arizona with my ring on her finger makes me so happy…she is really my wife now. We really did it. By law, we have a domestic partnership….by love, we have a marriage. Bailey's smile is so big when she says, "I now pronounce you wife and wife. You may kiss your bride ladies."

Arizona and I just look at each other , basking in all the glory of the vows we just took with one another. We get lost in each other's eyes again for a moment, then at the same time we lean in for our kiss. Arizona's lips touch mine so softy at first that I'm not sure they're really there…maybe this is all just a dream, I think as my eyes close. When I open them again, I know it's not…that this is real…this woman standing before me is my wife. I can't help myself and I pull Arizona in for another kiss, this one much deeper and more passionate. Normally, Arizona would never show so much affection in public…but today is our day, so she grabs my face and pours all her love into that kiss. The crowd begins to cheer, people clapping and whistling as we continue to embrace. We break for air, turning to the crowd hand in hand so they can get a glimpse of us as a newly married couple.

After the excitement dies down a bit and it is quiet again, Bailey announces that everyone should adjourn to the wedding tent that is located across the courtyard. The crowd slowly moves and we happily wait with one another until everyone is gone. Then Mark and Sophia join us at the altar so we can have a more private ceremony to sign our guardianship paperwork. Bailey stands alongside our lawyer, holding Sophia for us as we all take a turn signing the documents. I look at Mark when he is finished and nod my head, giving him a silent thanks. He winks, then takes Sophia from Bailey and passes her to Arizona.

"Here you go Mommy," he says as he pats Arizona on the back. "It's official…you are stuck with this kid…she's yours. Not that you needed any paper to prove it."

Arizona cries, visibly and out loud…without trying to hide it, hugging Sophia so tight and lavishing her with kisses.

"Thank you," she says, looking first to Mark and then to me. "And thank you," she says to Sophia. "Thank you for being here, for giving me the chance to be your mommy. I love you so much peanut." Sophia coos and smiles for Arizona, that one little dimple coming out to play. I walk up behind my girls and put my arms around them, kissing them both as tears of joy stream down my face. It is so true what they say about weddings….best day of my life. And I have a feeling it's only going to get better.

**Arizona's POV:**

I look down at my finger, still not sure I really just married Calliope Torres. But the ring is there, sparkling in the sun like my gorgeous wife. My wife…wow, that sound so amazing. Totally going to use that term as often as I possibly can. I snuggle up to my _wife_ as we take a few moments to relax before heading to the reception. The grounds are so beautiful here that we decided to do an outdoor reception, under a tent adorned with more gorgeous flowers from the gardens. Callie was worried about the weather…what if it rained or was too cold for Sophia…thank goodness I was right and our day turned out perfect.

"Perfect," I say, teasing Callie a little. "You really need to have more faith in your wife," I whisper with a smile against her cheek. She is fixing her makeup in our bridal suite, and I can see her looking at me in the mirror as I wrap my arms around her from behind.

"Perfect," I say again. She rolls her eyes at me and this time I press my lips right up to her ear and whisper, "I meant you….you're perfect. I've never seen anyone look so beautiful in my whole life." My voice cracks a little when I say this, the emotion of the day's events filling my heart again. Callie puts down her lipstick and turns in my arms, pushing a strand of hair behind my shoulder and leaning in for a kiss.

"_I love you Arizona," she says when we break the kiss. "You're the reason I look this way….because you make me so incredibly happy. But…I have to say, I think you are wrong about one thing," she says as she turns me to face the mirror. "I have definitely seen something more beautiful…you are glowing Arizona, do you know that? You look positively radiant."_

_I can stop the smile from forming on my lips at Callie's words. "Well," I say, "that is definitely because of you. I would say I've never been happier either…but I can think of a moment not so long ago when a beautiful woman opened her eyes and told me she would marry me. Or there's the day we brought our baby home. I guess we'll just have to make everyday the happiest….how does that sound?"_

"_Sounds perfect," Callie says as she leans in to start another round of kisses. Things start to heat up, a bit too much actually, when Mark barges in with Sophia._

"_Hey, hey ladies," he says with that smug grin on his face. "Save it for later…you have people waiting for you out there, you know?"_

"_Shut up Mark," Callie says as she motions for him to give her our peanut. "I'm gonna feed this little lady and then we'll be out. But feel free to tell the crowd that I was making out with my beautiful wife…I'm sure they'll all be very jealous."_

_Mark leaves and I take a few moments to freshen up. When Callie is done with Sophia, we make our way out to the tent. All of our friends cheer as we walk out onto the dance floor hand in hand. Teddy comes up and grabs the baby, telling us to keep it clean when we have our first dance. I smack her on the arm playfully, then pull her towards me so I can give her a quick kiss on the cheek. _

"_Thanks Teddy…for everything," I say to the woman who has become my best friend over the past year. "We are so lucky to have friends like you here supporting us."_

"_I'm just glad we're here," she says as she plants a kiss on Sophia's head. "You two make people like me still believe in love…still want to keep looking. I would have seriously kicked your ass if you guys didn't get your shit together and do this." She laughs, then kisses us both on the cheek before walking off the dance floor with our baby girl in tow._

_Our wedding song begins to play and I pull my wife as close to me as humanely possible, placing one hand around her waist and the other on her shoulder. She looks into my eyes as we sway back and forth, a stunning smile on her face. No words are necessary as we dance, our eyes and kisses say it all. People are watching us, but I don't care. I am so in love with Calliope…to me, she is the only person in the whole world right now. We are so caught up in one another that we keep dancing, even when the music ends. _

_Giggling into my hair, Callie whispers, "I think there's someone else who wants to dance with the beautiful bride." _

_I look up and see my dad standing at the edge of the dance floor, my mom behind him with a loving smile directed towards us. I give Callie a kiss, then start to walk towards my dad when I remember that Callie doesn't have her father to dance with. I see Mark walking towards us with the baby, feeling relieved that she can at least dance with him and Sophia. Callie looks sad for a brief moment, but her smile is brought back quickly when our daughter reaches out for her. She laughs that glorious laugh, throwing her head back and holding our baby above her. My father grabs my hand and leads us across the dance floor._

"_Well my dear, this has been some day," he says as he pulls me closer to him. "Remember when you were a little girl and you used to dance on my feet? Every time I came home from a tour, you ran to get that old wireless radio your grandma gave you…you would set it up in the kitchen while your mom made dinner, and we would dance. Danny always made fun of you afterwards…said tomboys like you shouldn't try and dance." I laugh with my daddy, holding him close as I think about those days gone by….as I think about my brother and how he always teased me about everything._

"_I wish Danny were here with us," I say, wiping a tear from my eye. "Boy, he sure would have had a lot to say today…me in a such a girly dress, a flower in my hair." I joke, trying not to let the sadness take over._

"_I miss him too Arizona," my dad says, well aware of my tactic. "He would have been so happy to see you like this…so in love, so sure of yourself. He may have teased you about a lot of things, but he never once joked about your sexuality. Maybe because he always knew…maybe because he's the first person you told….I don't know, but he always supported you and hoped you would be happy."_

"_I am happy dad…happier than I ever thought I could be," I tell him, a genuine smile reappearing on my face. "All because of that gorgeous woman over there…and that little girl in her arms. And even though Danny can't be here to share in all of this, I'm super glad that you and Mom are here with me. Thank you so much for everything…for always loving me and accepting me, for accepting Callie and Sophia as my family." _

_With tears in his eyes, my dad leans down and kisses me. "I love you honey…you were always such a good little girl, always a good man in a storm…that will never change. I see that now, the way you love them….unconditionally. Those are two lucky girls over there…I don't know anyone who would make a better wife and mother. Don't tell Mom I said that…I'll be eating outside with the dog for a week." We look over at her and laugh…she shakes her head, knowing we must be talking about her. When the song ends, my dad returns to my mother and I to my wife and daughter._

_The rest of the evening flies by…we dance, and eat, and talk, and dance some more. Both Callie and I are wrecked…our dresses looking a bit ragged, our hair a mess. We cut the cake, feeding each other nicely as we agreed. Then we each throw a bouquet to the crowd of single people…we don't split up the men and women, breaking tradition by crossing the gender lines. Teddy catches my bouquet and Mark catches Callie's…so we have Teddy put a garter on Mark, much funnier that way. I laugh so hard my sides hurt, causing Sophia to break out into a laugh of her own. That laugh is so contagious, just like her mama's…I am so in love with them both._

_Unfortunately, time can't stand still and the wedding reception comes to an end. We say goodbye to our friends and family, thanking them for being with us on our special day…on our special journey really. I hug my mom and dad for an eternity before letting them go…Callie promises them we'll come visit really soon. Everyone is gone…I finish putting the rest of our gifts into the car and head back into the tent to get my wife and daughter. However, I see Mark carrying Sophia and her diaper bag out of the tent as I come back in. Mark tells Sophia to give Mommy a kiss…I am confused, but I kiss my baby girl anyway and head towards Callie._

"_Where are they going?" I ask Callie when I reach her. "I thought Mark left with Teddy…he was supposed to give her a ride…you've seen her, she can't drive."_

"_Teddy got a ride home with Owen and Cristina…I think Yang actually convinced her to keep drinking at Joe's," Callie informs me._

"_Oh, ok….well, it's getting late," I say. "We really need to get Sophia home…this has been a long day for her." _

"_Mark's taking her for the night," Callie says. Then seeing the look of shock on my face, she adds, "I hope that's ok." _

"_Um, yeah…yeah I guess," I stammer. "Why? I mean she's never spent the night away from us…are you sure that's a good idea?"_

_Callie closes the distance between us and places a lingering kiss on my lips. "Mmmm," she says with a smile, licking her lips. "Sophia will be fine. Mark takes care of her all the time. I just pumped so he's got a full bottle for her. And she's so tired, I bet she falls asleep in the car on the ride home and he doesn't hear from her til tomorrow. It'll be ok."_

"_Really?" I ask, so worried for my little girl. "Your probably right, it's just…"_

"_Arizona," Callie says, stopping me from going any further. "She'll be fine." _

_When I look up into Calliope's eyes, they are filled with love and lust…wandering over my entire body before meeting my eyes again. I swallow hard, quickly losing my train of thought…all this woman has to do is look at me and I go weak in the knees. She presses her lips to my neck, then drags them slowly up to me ear and whispers, "Now we can sit here and talk about the baby all night…or we can go upstairs to the honeymoon suite and enjoy our wedding night. As perfect as this day has been…I would really like to make love to my wife."_

_I don't know what is sexier…the way Callie is looking at me, practically undressing me with her eyes…or the seductive way she just called me her wife. Either way, I am sold. I grab Callie's hand and allow her to escort me to our room. Our wedding may have ended…but our night is far from over. _

**Chapter 16**

**Arizona's POV:**

We practically run through the courtyard of this beautiful garden club, Callie pulling me behind her towards the cottage-style hotel. There are vines climbing up the walls, a fountain in the center of the lobby, and of course, flowers everywhere. It feels foreign and homey at the same time…exotic yet rustic. It is nearly nine o'clock by the time the concierge checks us in and assures Callie that all our luggage has been delivered to the room. She leans over the counter and whispers something in his ear…a solid nod confirms whatever it is she asked him.

The bellhop pushes the button at the elevator and once the doors open, we step inside. We laugh at our disheveled appearances in the mirrored walls, not bothering to fix the stray hairs or smudged makeup. We are only going to the second floor, but the ride seems to last forever as I gaze lovingly at my beautiful wife, anxious to have her all to myself. Her dark eyes never break contact with mine until we hear the distinctive ding of the elevator, the doors opening again to reveal a long hallway with one room at the end. Callie gestures for me to go ahead, and I walk down the corridor and up to the wooden door with the words "Honeymoon Hideaway" etched into it. The door appears to be made directly from a tree, not from finished wood…and there are names and initials engraved into it in many places. A small box containing a pocket knife is mounted on the wall. Callie opens the box and places the knife in my hand…then covering my hand with hers, carves our initials into the door. I return the knife to its rightful place, then run my fingers over our initial-filled heart, closing my eyes for a moment to take in this priceless moment.

When I open the door to our suite, my jaw drops and I am utterly amazed by what I see. There is a living room area with a huge fireplace, a bear skin rug laying directly in front of it. Off to the right there is a little breakfast nook…a small stove and refrigerator, two stools placed at the countertop, and a tray of chocolate covered strawberries and champagne, with a note from management saying _Congratulations & Enjoy Your Stay. _From the look of things, we are definitely going to enjoy our stay.

Callie frightens me for a second when she comes up behind me and places a hard kiss on the back of my neck, her arms wrapping around me to stake their claim. "Come see the bedroom," she breathes in my ear. I can already feel my body tingling…aching to be with her. I follow her into the large bedroom and realize what she was whispering to the concierge about earlier. The word _Spain_ is spelled out in red petals. I pick one up and examine it…it's not your traditional rose petal.

"They're red carnations," Callie says, blushing slightly. "It's the national flower of Spain. Supposedly, Spanish tradition says that if you give someone a red carnation you are sending them a message."

I feel a lump in my throat as I dare to ask, "What message is that?"

"It means _My heart aches for you_," Callie tells me, inching closer to me every second. "I wanted to make sure this was authentic, so I did some research. Turns out the red carnation is considered the most beautiful flower because it's not only colorful, but long lasting…kind of sounds like us, don't you think? Anyway…I guess I got lucky because well…we are at a garden resort, and they could get me these flowers shipped directly from Aragon, where they have these growing to adorn the walls of their churches."

Callie looks so innocent and pure, almost like a child, the way her eyes light up as she describes all of this to me. The tears are beginning to form again, as I see the rest of our Spanish getaway laid out before me. There are two bright red beach towels resting on what appears to be actual sand in the corner of the room, a large ice bucket with two glasses and a pitcher of Sangria in between them. I take it all in, amazed that Callie did all of this…planned all of this for _me. _I motion for her to come closer, needing to touch this magnificent woman.

When she finally reaches me, I take her hands in mine and she lets out a nervous breath. "Calliope…how did you? You didn't have to do all of this," I say sincerely.

"Yes, yes I did," she says before I can continue. "You've given me so much Arizona…changed so much for me. Two years ago I almost lost you because I wanted kids and you didn't…and you changed your mind…for me. And then you gave up your dream…left Africa, to be with me and be a part of my dream. And I know how much you adore Sophia, I see it in your eyes everyday…and I'm so happy our family has become your dream too. But having a family, being mothers…it changes things. On a normal day, we can't just drop everything and run away together to a magical island where no one else exits but the two of us….hell, on a normal day, we are lucky if we get to spend more than an hour together alone. But today…today we can do this. Today we can be alone…just you and me with no interruptions, no need to be quiet or hurry up. Today we can drink Sangria and make love on the beach. Today we can live your dream. Today…we can go to Spain."

I don't even attempt to stop the tears from falling…I just close the space between us and envelop Callie in a loving embrace. Her eyes reach mine again when we eventually let go, the look of passion in them undeniable. As she leans in to kiss me, I whisper "Te amo mi amor."

Apparently I am not the only one who finds the Spanish tongue seductive, and before I can even take a breath Callie's lips are on mine. Her soft, full lips cover my mouth as her tongue slides over my bottom lip. I open my mouth and our tongues collide, crashing into one another in a heated frenzy…both of us needing to express the love and desire inside of us. I start to unzip her dress when Callie suddenly pulls away from me, putting her hands on my shoulders to stop any further action.

"What's wrong?" I moan, a frown appearing at the loss of contact. "You don't want me?" I pout, accusing her falsely.

Suddenly her lips are on mine again. "Of course I want you Arizona….there's never been a time when I didn't want you. But tonight is our wedding night…and as much as I just want to rip your dress off too, I was kinda hoping we could take it slow. Don't want that expensive lingerie to go to waste," se hisses in my ear.

"Expensive lingerie?" I choke out, my temperature rising again at the thought of her wearing something sexy and white. Just then, I remember that I had also bought something special to wear this evening…however, since I didn't know we were staying here, it's home…or so I think.

"Don't worry," she says, "I had Cristina search our apartment this morning for over an hour until she found your lingerie. According to her, I was going to get very lucky tonight…can't wait to see whatever it is you have in that box."

Normally, Callie is more of the temptress…always putting on hot lingerie for me, like a gorgeous present I get to unwrap. I've never been that kind of girl…and Callie has never complained about the sexy bras and panties I choose to wear regularly. But tonight is special, and so last week I dragged Teddy with me to buy a teddy…and yes, I laughed like a child over the irony. After hemming and hawing over which piece of lingerie to choose, Teddy finally grabbed my arm and whispered, "Just think about Callie…what she likes, what parts of you…and pick something that will show them off." Let's hope I made the right choice.

I feel nervous as I take my little box into the bathroom, removing the flowered band from my head and unzipping my dress. I shake my hair out and slip the lingerie on. I still feel so self conscious in these getups, although I have to admit this one is rather nice. It's ivory, like my wedding gown, trimmed with lace…a corset style top to accentuate what Callie refers to as my _great boobs_. The bottom comes down just enough to cover about half of my cheeks, revealing not only my ass but my toned legs…the part of me that I think Callie really loves. She loves to kiss her way from my ankles to my inner thigh, often sucking or nipping there until she leaves her mark on me….I never mind, never. I take a deep breath as I open the bathroom door, anxious to see what my wife is wearing.

They say great minds think alike…well, tonight that is true. I guess I expected Callie to be wearing the typical bridal lingerie…something similar to what she usually wears for me, only white. I am both surprised and very, very turned on to see her instead wearing a string bikini. My eyes roam over the gorgeous body before me, her caramel skin contrasted perfectly against the bright white suit. The bikini barely covers her, revealing every luscious curve her body has to offer. She looks delicious…I just can't stop staring, the lump in my throat quickly returning.

"When in Spain," she says, turning in a complete circle so I can look at the whole package. "Does this _melt_ you, Arizona?" she asks, her voice dripping with seduction.

I swallow hard, trying to form a coherent thought. "You um, you look…irresistible," I finally manage to breathe out. Thank God I don't have to resist her…it's already killing me not to touch her.

"Arizona, you look…beautiful, and so incredibly sexy," Callie says as her eyes take in the sight before her. "You take my breath away." I can see the tears in her eyes as she crosses the room, the dim light catching them just enough to show her emotion. I feel the wetness on my cheeks before I even realize that I have joined her, the sheer beauty of this woman…of this night, bringing me to tears.

We stand face to face just admiring one another, looking deep into each other's eyes until neither one of us can stand not touching. Running my fingers through Callie's thick hair, I pull her lips to mine and begin to show her exactly how I feel inside. The passion with which my kiss is returned threatens to take things too far, too fast…so I break the kiss and turn her around in my arms. Her figure is strong, but feminine…and I run my hands down the length of her curves, planting kisses on her shoulders…her back…her sides. Callie moans every now and then, her arms reaching behind her to grasp whatever piece of flesh she can. When my lips reach the back of her knees, they buckle…she holds on to the bed for support, bending over just enough to give me a preview of where I'll be heading later. Not wanting her to fall, I wrap one arm around her stomach, trailing my fingers downward so she understands my intentions. She turns back to face me, pulling me towards her and dipping her tongue into my mouth briefly, before running it up to my ear, nibbling the lobe and whispering, "Make love to your wife, Arizona."

The way she says that makes me weak in the knees now and I steady myself against her, reaching a sneaky hand behind her to untie the string on that bikini. I watch as the small white top falls to the floor, exposing her bare chest. I lean down in between her breasts and brush the skin there with my lips, moving my mouth until it reaches her heart. I plant a loving kiss over her heart…the heart that belongs to me. Callie has slid her bikini bottom down and I feel it hit my feet. The sight of this woman completely naked in front of me never ceases to amaze me…but tonight, this woman…this beautiful goddess, is my wife. And somehow, she becomes even more beautiful. I stare into her warm, chocolate eyes as I reach out and caress her…one hand firmly on her backside while the other dips between her breasts, then drags down the length of her torso and comes to rest on her hip.

Callie's eyes close for a moment as she takes in the feeling of my touch. When she opens them, she keeps her gaze directed at my eyes as she takes her turn to undress me. Starting from the top, Callie runs a gentle hand across my cheek then down the length of my neck, where she leans in to kiss the soft spot under my throat. Grazing her soft lips lightly across to my shoulder, she kisses me again then bites down…hard enough to elicit a moan without causing pain. She uses her teeth to slowly pull the straps of my lingerie down on one side, while she unties the ribbon at the top of my corset. I help her by pulling down the other strap, enticing her to finish the task of removing this little article of clothing. She does so excruciatingly slow, kissing every inch of skin as it becomes exposed. Of course, when she gets to my thighs, she leaves her little mark, then kisses the bruised skin as she squeezes my ass.

When I am finally rid of the lingerie, I press my naked body up against hers, relishing in the skin on skin contact. Wanting…_needing_ to be closer still, I gently push her back until we are on the bed. Often, when we make love…we take turns, one person fulfilling the needs and desires of the other, then switching. Tonight, however_, _I want to be in sync with her…to cry and scream in ecstasy together…to become one. Callie seems to have the same idea, positioning herself so that she is lying on her side…her loving arms outstretched for me to join her, which I gladly do.

We kiss…soft and sweet, then long and hard, whispering _I love you_ to one another as we start to make love. I feel Callie's fingers inside of me as I enter her, each of us gasping into the other's mouth. I match her rhythm…slow and steady, pushing in and out as my mouth wanders across her lips…her neck…her breasts. She holds me, her free hand digging into my back as she picks up the pace. My breathing becomes ragged…the love and pleasure I am feeling knocking the wind out of me. Callie whispers something in my ear…it's Spanish, so I'm not quite sure what it is. The way we're going right now, I don't know that I could even comprehend English. I whisper back to her, my lips pressed up against her ear. "Calliope…I think I can feel you in my soul." She smiles as her eyes come back to focus on mine. Our bodies are drenched in sweat and I can feel tears on my cheek again…this time, they are hers. "Arizona…"she cries in ecstasy as I push my fingers so deep inside of her, I can't tell where they end and she begins. I feel my own walls begin to close…this is the moment we've been waiting for. Callie arches her back, never breaking eye contact, as her body begins to tremble around me. I've never seen anything more beautiful in all my life…her black hair falling slightly in her face, her wet body glistening in the light, her face simply breathtaking. Our moment lasts forever, at least it feels that way…that _good._

Once we are able to catch our breath and regain composure, I roll onto my stomach and lay my head down…tears of joy staining the pillowcase. Callie rolls onto her back, grabbing my hand and entwining our fingers. "Arizona," she says, her voice heavy with emotion. "That was…I've never experienced anything like that…it was so, so beautiful…_you _are so beautiful."

I cannot keep the smile off of my face, this whole night like a vivid dream. But it's not a dream…it's real. I just made love to my wife…_my wife._ "You are beautiful Calliope," I tell her as she leans down and kisses my back. "And you're all mine….forever."

We rest for a while, lying in each other's arms…talking about our wonderful day, our daughter, the life we are going to have together. We eat the chocolate covered strawberries and drink the champagne…then we make love again. We sleep for a while, exhaustion taking over our bodies…then we make love again. We lie naked in the sand, our bodies drenched with sweat and Sangria…then we make love again.

When were are finally too tired to do anything but crash heavily into the bed and pull the sheets up around our tangled bodies, I kiss my wife goodnight and close my eyes, feeling more complete than ever before. As I drift off, I hear Callie whisper, "I get it, Arizona." I turn to face her, raising my eyebrows in confusion. "I never understood before how Spain could be your dream…but after tonight, I get it. And I promise to take you to "Spain" as often as I possibly can…every night if I'm lucky." I kiss her again, so much passion in my lips…and just when I thought we were too tired, we visit _Spain_ one more time.

**Chapter 17**

**Callie's POV:**

I love the way our naked bodies look intertwined, a mixture of tan and white limbs tangled together under the sheets. Arizona's porcelain skin is such a vivid contrast to my caramel complexion, her frame more petite and fragile than the full figure I wrap around her, her golden hair dramatically lighter than my raven locks. In almost every way possible, we are opposites…yet we fit together so perfectly, our differences creating beauty in this puzzle we piece together.

I ache from the pleasures of last night…sore from arching, writhing, screaming during our numerous rounds of lovemaking. Sleep was not desired, so little did we receive…reluctantly giving in to it only after our bodies surrendered with exhaustion. Arizona is a beautiful sleeper…she is quiet and peaceful, and I love to just watch her. I wish I could have stayed asleep…my arms wrapped around her, my leg nestled in between hers, dreaming of the passionate night we just shared. Sadly however, the early morning beckoned me with a sore body and swollen breasts…making me miss our daughter for the first time in many hours.

I gently pull the sheets back and step out of the bed, covering my beautiful wife back up and placing a soft kiss on her temple. I call Mark to check on my baby girl, glad to hear she slept through the night without any trouble. I hear her jabbering in the background and my heart aches for a moment to be with her…but we will be reunited soon enough. I manage to find the coffee pot after several moments of searching, desperately needing some caffeine to motivate me…in this moment, I would like nothing more than to crawl back into bed and rid myself of the protruding headache, caused by lack of sleep and one too many Sangrias. I consider doing just that when I see Arizona peering out from behind the bedroom door, almost as if she is spying on me.

"Good morning, my crazy wife," I say as I pull out a stool for her. "Stalking someone this morning, are we?"

"Calliope," she says, "I wasn't stalking you…how many times have I told you, I never barge into a room without surveying the scene first. It's what we do in the military."

"We?" I question. "Oh right, I forgot…you're an army soldier disguising yourself as a pediatric surgeon. Is that why you equip all your kids with nerf guns?"

Arizona chuckles at my mocking tone, taking her seat in the stool opposite me at the breakfast counter. "Ughhh," she groans, lowering her head onto the counter. "Kids…work…tomorrow. No, no, no. I don't even want to think about kids…well, except one," she says as she lifts her head to look into my eyes. "I miss her."

I smile…the thought of Arizona and Sophia together always makes me smile, fills my heart with such joy. "I know, I miss her too…felt kind of guilty when I woke up this morning, I didn't think about her too much last night."

"Oh Calliope…I don't think either one of us was doing much thinking about anything last night," Arizona whispers as she leans in for a kiss. "Maybe we should call and check in though, see if she's…"

"She's alright babe," I say, stopping her in mid-sentence. "Already talked to Mark. Our little angel slept all night…didn't wake up once, finished all of her cereal and bottle this morning. She's been good for him."

Arizona looks relieved to hear Sophia was ok. We both trust Mark with her…he's a good dad, but he's not her mom. We are her moms…we know her habits, recognize her cries, can calm her down if she's upset. We were both a little worried that she might wake up and cry for us…that Mark would forget to give her Boo-Boo, her little bunny she sleeps with…that in general, she wouldn't be happy. Glad we were wrong.

Our room service is delivered and we sit together, quietly enjoying the much needed food and coffee. We reminisce about our fabulous evening as we pick up the discarded clothing strewn about the hotel room.

"The cleaning staff is sure earning their paycheck this week," Arizona says as she pulls my white bikini out of a sticky puddle of sand and fruity alcohol. "We'd better leave them a big tip."

"Yeah, pretty sure I'm gonna get a big bill when they see the sand…but totally worth it," I say, pulling Arizona in for a kiss. I look at the clock, realizing that we only have about an hour before we have to check out. She glances at the clock too, realizing exactly what I'm thinking when I raise my eyebrows at her and smile.

We spend the next half hour working out all the kinks and stretching those sore muscles from last night. Nothing can compare to the evening of bliss we shared not too many hours ago, but today feels so good. Today is the first day of our new life together as a married couple…it may not be filled with expensive gowns, fine food, and endless hours of lovemaking…but today is good, it's real. Making love to my wife this morning feels like us on a regular day…we don't have much time to worship each other, but we make it special. And it's even more special because we are married, a bright future ahead of us.

We grab a quick shower together, not allowing ourselves to indulge in anything more than the hot water and a few loving kisses underneath the spray. We dress and finish packing quickly, wanting to leave before the maid comes and we get caught with the big mess we made. We smile at one another in the mirrored walls of the elevator, sharing the happiness and contentment we both feel in our souls this morning. We exit the lobby to find a rare, sunny day greeting us, and decide to take the two mile walk home. Since neither one of us drove to the reception, we don't have a car…and since neither one of us are ready for our alone time to be over, we rationalize that we could use the exercise. Arizona holds my hand, rubbing her thumb across my knuckles, looking over at me every once in a while with that super magic smile plastered across her face. I can't keep the grin off my face either, squeezing her hand every now and then to let her know how much I love her. We walk the entire time in silence, no need for words…hand in hand, basking in the sunlight and warm of our love. I can see the apartment up ahead, as we turn the corner onto our street.

"Welcome home, Mrs. Torres," I whisper to my wife as we enter the lobby. Arizona turns and kisses me so passionately that I almost fall over.

"Welcome home Mrs. Robbins," she says when we finally stop to breathe. We decided to hyphenate our last names on paper when we filed for domestic partnership…Robbins-Torres…but since the federal government doesn't recognize domestic partnership or gay marriage, we will keep our own last names for regular use. It will make things easier for work, less confusing to the next group of stupid interns.

Like love-sick teenagers, Arizona and I make out in the elevator as we ride up five floors to our home. Neither one of us hears the doors open, but our little session comes to an abrupt end when a familiar voice says, "Oh my God…really? The elevator?"

It's Mark…guess he got tired of sitting home with Sophia, evidenced by the stroller and ridiculous amount of toys he is carting down the hall. He shakes his head at us in mock disgust…I know him, really…he's jealous. Not of the fooling around so much as the having someone part…someone who's not a one night stand or sex buddy. Anyway, he teases us just the same…telling Arizona she's supposed to be the good role model for our daughter. She rolls her eyes at him and pushes him out of the way, anxiously unbuckling Sophia from the stroller and hugging her tight.

"Mommy missed you so much baby," she says, kissing our little peanut all over. "Yes, I did…did you miss us?"

Sophia gives the best answer she can…a squeal of delight and a tug on Arizona's ponytail. "Ouch Soph," Arizona says, laughing as she pulls her hair away from the tiny fist. "Ok, ok…I promise we'll never leave you again. Except for once in a while, when Mama and I go to Spain for the night."

Arizona turns and winks at me, making me blush at the mere implication of her words. Mark stands there rather confused and says, "Huh? I'm pretty sure Spain is a trip you can't just do in one night. But if you want to go, I'll watch Sophia for as long as you want. We had fun, right kiddo?" he says as he reaches out for the baby.

Arizona and I continue to laugh at our little inside joke, leaving Mark more dumbfounded then ever. "Alright, well…I'll take my cue and leave you two lovebirds alone. Did you want me to put all this stuff back first Cal?" he asks, gesturing to the crazy pile of stuff on Sophia's stroller.

"No, I'll take care of it Mark. Thanks…thanks for everything. I'm glad it went so well," I tell him honestly. "Ok Sophia," I say as I take the baby from Mark and lavish her with kisses of my own. "Say bye to daddy…see you tomorrow."

Mark gives his princess one last kiss then heads back to his place. By the time I get Sophia in the door, Arizona has already put away all the toys and folded up the stroller. Such a neat freak…it's a good thing Mark watched the baby at his place, I can almost guarantee it's a mess.

Arizona makes us lunch while I nurse Sophia, and we sit at the kitchen table just passing the baby back and forth, telling her over and over how much we love her. Sophia is clearly happy we're back, squealing and laughing constantly, her big brown eyes moving back and forth to look at each of us. Arizona just stares at her while I bounce her up and down on my knee, those blue eyes so full of love for our daughter. Then something miraculous happens…Sophia reaches both of her arms out for Arizona, something she has never done before.

"Aw, she wants you babe," I say to my wife. "She wants her mommy."

Arizona eyes fill up, tears about to escape as she takes our daughter into her loving arms. "I love you so much honey," she tells Sophia, eating up her little face and neck and belly…causing a deep belly laugh to erupt from the baby. I can't help but laugh myself, this adorable scene playing out in front of me, making me fall more in love with both of my girls. Sophia hears me laughing and turns towards me in Arizona's arms, reaching out for me this time. We play this game with her over and over again, Sophia laughing harder every time.

"And here I thought I could only be whipped by one woman," Arizona announces as she takes Sophia for the hundredth time.

"Please…"I say to her. "You love it."

"Yup," she answers. "You are totally right."

When Sophia gets tired, I put her down for a nap. Thinking we could use the free time to finish what we started in the elevator, I strip down as I walk towards our bedroom. Standing in the doorway butt naked, I giggle softly at the sight before me….Arizona, obviously thinking the same thing, is also butt naked in the middle of our bed….sound asleep. Knowing how tired we both are, I decide not to wake her and just snuggle up behind her. We sleep for a few hours, hearing Sophia stir on the monitor every now and then. When I wake up to find Arizona missing, I am disappointed at first. But when I hear her talking to Sophia on the monitor, disappointment is the last word I would ever use to describe how I feel. I know I shouldn't eavesdrop on what's meant to be a private conversation, but I can't help it. Hearing the woman I love…the woman who didn't think she wanted to be a mother, still sometimes doesn't think she's a good enough mother,…talk to our baby in her sweet, crazy, Arizona Robbins voice…it's just amazing. I lay back down on the bed and just listen…to the sweet sounds of my baby and the sweet rambling of my wife.

"Yes, that's right. Your mommies are married now…I am your mama's wife. Can you believe it? Did you have fun at the wedding peanut? You know, usually people are lining up to dance with the bride at a wedding. And there were two brides at our wedding…and the only person that people were lining up for was you little lady. It's funny Sophia because once upon a time…well, not really that long ago…anyway, the night I met your mama…I told her that same thing. That people would be lining up for her. Of course, Mama looked at me with that "_your crazy"_ face…you'll get to know that one very well…and she, she didn't believe me because she was sad and didn't think anyone would love her. I know…how could anyone_ not_ love her? She is amazing, isn't she? Ok, back to my story. So once upon a time in a dirty bar bathroom…wait, I can't say that. Someday you'll go to school and tell your little friends about your mommy's fairy tales…and the next thing you know, I'll be sitting in the principal's office getting scolded by some stuffy old man _and_ your mama. So let me start again…once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess named Calliope. Oh, you want me to hold you now…ok, let's go rock in the chair baby. Ok, so princess Calliope was sad and didn't think anyone would love her…but another princess, that would be me…came and found her and told her that she was wrong, that people would be lining up for her. But she still didn't believe me…I mean, she didn't believe Princess Arizona. So Princess Arizona kissed Princess Calliope…and that's when the magic began. Luckily, Princess Calliope was very, very smart and didn't wait around for the others to get in line. She just fell in love with Princess Arizona…and after a very long, sometimes hard, but always wonderful journey…the two princesses got married and had a beautiful baby girl. Well, the other way around…the two princesses had a beautiful baby girl and then got married, and lived happily ever after. And you _do _have my permission to tell anyone you want that two princesses _can _indeed get married. What do you think honey? Did you like Mommy's story?"

I can hear Sophia cooing as Arizona rocks her in the chair, tears falling from my eyes at the little tale my wife just wove for our daughter. I hear them coming, so I wipe my face and close my eyes…trying to look like I'm still sleeping when they come in.

"Calliope…"Arizona calls to me in my faux slumber. "Wake up…our little peanut needs to eat, and while I would love to feed her…"

"I'm up," I say, feeling a bit guilty at feigning sleep and even more guilty for pretending I didn't hear Arizona's tale. I get out of bed and take the baby, sitting down in the rocker to nurse her. Arizona asks if I want pizza or Chinese…I tell her to pick and she decides to order from Chan's Kitchen right down the street. They have the best lo mein, they deliver, and since it's so close they are usually pretty quick. She decides to put in some laundry while I finish up with Sophia.

I'm glad, because I am having a hard time looking at her and keeping my little secret. I hate lying to her in any way…and now that she's my wife, it just feels wrong. But how do I tell her that I eavesdropped on her? What if she's mad…will it ruin our first night at home as a married couple? Is it really that bad not to tell her? I mean, I'm not really lying…I'm just not telling her. Keeping secrets already…great. This battle goes on and on in my head until I hear a knock on the door.

"Coming," I hear Arizona call to the delivery guy. She comes back to the bedroom to grab her wallet, leaning in for a quick kiss on both of our cheeks. She turns and smiles at me before going to grab the food…I am feeling worse by the minute.

We eat on the floor in the living room, setting the baby gym up for Sophia to play in and setting our food on the coffee table. Arizona rambles again…this time about the wedding, the hotel last night, how great our married lives are going to be. Guilt. Guilt. Guilt. I have to tell her…but not now, not until the baby's tucked in for the night. I have to find the right way to do it. Apologize first maybe? Just spit it all out? Act like it was no big deal? I think I am over analyzing this…I take a deep breath, resolving that I will find the right time and the right way to tell her.

Once Sophia has had her bath and is ready for bed, Arizona and I give our good night hugs and kisses, then lay her gently down in the crib. We are so lucky this kid is like me…loves to sleep, never has to be coerced. We used to rock her to sleep every night, until one time I laid her down in the crib and went to get the phone….came back, she was out. Since then, we decided it's best just to let her fall asleep on her own. We wait until she looks like she's about to doze off, then turn out the light and head back to our room.

I know Arizona is going to want to make love…I mean, I do too. Of course I do…but the guilt. The guilt will never let me. Trying to be calm and gain the courage to speak, I lay down on the bed for a moment. Arizona comes out of the bathroom and climbs into bed, immediately spooning me from behind.

"I love you," she whispers in my ear, as she rubs small circles on my hip.

"I love you too, Princess Arizona," I say…louder than a whisper, so she knows exactly what I mean. I turn to face her, worry in my eyes as I look at her and wait for a response.

"Did you think I didn't know you were listening, Calliope?" she asks, smiling. "Is that why you were so weird during dinner? I thought maybe you were still tired…or that you didn't like the food tonight."

"I, I…I didn't want you to be mad," I confess, hanging my head. "I'm sorry I listened in on your story. I didn't mean to…well, I guess I did but…first I woke up and you were gone, and then I heard you talking to Sophia. And I love hearing you talk to her…it's not the first time I've listened to you in there. It's just so sweet, the way you ramble on and on to her…like she's a little person, not like she's a baby. You know? And I can hear all the love in your voice…and I'm so sorry, I just couldn't stop listening. I feel terrible about it…we just got married and here I am keeping secrets from you and…"

"Stop," Arizona orders. She smiles again as she wipes a tear from my cheek, putting her arms around me again. "First of all, I know that you listen to me talk to Sophia. It's impossible not to with that monitor…God, I think you could hear a feather hit the ground in there with that thing. Plus…I listen to you too. When you sing to her in Spanish…when you tell her about your day at work…when you tell her how much you love her, and me. It is sweet and endearing…and I love it, and I love that you do it too. And I never told you that I listen because…well, it's the good kind of secret. The kind of secret that doesn't hurt anybody…the kind of secret that fills your heart and makes you love someone more. Besides, I wasn't just telling her any old story… I was telling her _our story…so it's ok. It's ok," she states again, weaving her fingers through mine to make me believe it. _

_I grab her beautiful face in my hands and kiss her hard, pouring all of my love into her lips. Quickly, clothing is coming off and covers are being turned down…both of us desperate to be intimate again. Arizona straddles my hips, rocking her perfect body against mine…fingers and tongues meandering across one another until we reach our destination, names being screamed and bodies trembling. When we have finished making love, Arizona settles on my chest and kisses the scar over my heart, like she does every night. _

_Suddenly, a cry enters the room through the baby monitor. We quickly dress and race to Sophia, a bit worried since she hasn't been waking up at night. I pick her up and she immediately goes back to sleep. After a few minutes, I try to put her down again…but as soon as her little head hits the mattress, she cries again. Arizona tries…same thing, won't be put down. Guess she missed us more than we realized. _

"_Just for tonight?" I say, pleading with my wife through my eyes and poutty lip. She smiles and I know we have won her over. I place Sophia on the bed in between us, cradling her head in the crook of my arm. Arizona lies on her side, facing me and holding Sophia's little hand in hers. _

"_Calliope…" I hear my wife call as I drift off to sleep. "This…totally better than Spain." _

**Chapter 18**

**Arizona's POV:**

It's been three months since Calliope and I got married, and just now are we planning our honeymoon. We were both hesitant to leave Sophia for longer than one night, especially after seeing how much she obviously missed our presence. It took a week to get her back into her own room…ironically, it was Callie who had to convince me that we had to crack down and get her sleeping in the crib again. I usually air on the side of caution with babies…preemies especially, and would typically never recommend sleeping with an infant, even though many people today advocate for the benefits of co-sleeping. But from the first night that we let Sophia snuggle in between us, I was hooked. Waking up to see her beautiful smiling face, those gorgeous brown eyes staring up at me…I swear, I fall more and more in love with our tiny human everyday. Callie is right though…it's not a good habit to get into, and we agreed that special circumstances like illness or bad dreams would allow for such a special arrangement. Plus, we do need to have the bed to ourselves…making love on the living room floor, in the shower, on the kitchen table….all fun, but certainly not something you want to do all the time.

So here were are, hemming and hawing about whether leaving her again is a good idea…whether we can stand to miss her for a whole week…whether Mark can handle it. Sophia is crawling now…and even though I personally baby-proofed both his and our apartments, I still worry about her getting hurt. She is into everything already. You know the phrase, be careful what you wish for? Well, it's true. From the time Sophia was born, we've all been hoping and praying for her to develop normally…to catch up and do all the things a typical baby her age should be. Yeah….we are totally getting what we deserve by asking for that. Not only has she managed to catch up…she is ahead in some of the skills a nine month old should master. Yup, we're in trouble. Callie says she has my strength and determination…she certainly has her mama's fiery temper and stubborn will, not to mention her big heart and unbelievable beauty…and she's got Mark's adventurous and often sneaky attitude. Yes, trouble she is…wonderful, adorable trouble in the best possible way.

"Callie, what if she can't handle a whole week away from us?" I ask, genuine concern in my voice. "Are you sure we can't just take her with us?"

"Arizona," she says, rolling her eyes as we've already had this conversation a thousand times. "We are going on a cruise…a cruise ship is no place for a baby, especially one that is crawling. And Mark would kill us if we took away his week with her…he'll think we don't trust him. Besides, it _is_ our honeymoon…don't you want to be alone? Cause I mean, we've only been married a few months…if you're already losing interest…"

"Ok, ok," I interrupt. "I get it. Of course I want alone time with my wife, of course it would be dumb to take her on a cruise, of course she'll be fine with her dad. You're totally right…I just worry, you know me."

"I worry too…but I don't want that to get in the way of us living," Callie says. "We deserve this…aside from our wedding night, neither one of us has left that baby's side for nine months. Even now, we work different days and different hours so that Sophia doesn't have to be in daycare that much. And it's hard sometimes because we don't see each other as much, but we do it for her. She'll understand that sometimes we need to do stuff for us."

"You're right," I concede. "I just hope we don't miss anything. You better tell Mark to keep her in the playpen so she can't do anything new while we're gone." I laugh at myself then, knowing how ridiculous I must sound.

We finish packing the last of our bags and walk across the hall to Mark's place. Normally, Sophia spends time with home over there so Callie and I can have privacy. Since the accident, Mark has somehow managed to let us have our own space without much intrusion. Callie believes that Mark is a changed man…I, however, disagree. While he has been less intrusive, I can see that old habits die hard. Over the past few months, he has gradually come to knock a little less…pop over unannounced a little more…call a few too many times when he is watching Sophia. But, he hasn't really crossed the line….yet.

Our flight down to Florida leaves in just about two hours, so we really need to get moving. We agreed we wouldn't linger anyway…want to make our departure as easy for Sophia as possible. A few hugs and kisses, telling our girl how much we love her and warning Mark that we'll kill him if anything happens to her, and we're gone.

It's been over a year since we saw the inside of an airport together…this airport, the place where I left the love of my life and went to Africa…alone. I hadn't thought about the fact that we would be coming back here…back to Sea-Tac together. Callie booked the flight to Orlando, where we will deport for the cruise. Maybe she didn't think about it either...or maybe she has been secretly dreading this all along. I can see Callie tense up as soon as we are dropped off by the cab, As much as this sucks for me, I can't even imagine how she is feeling right now.

"I'm so sorry," I whisper, as I notice her holding back her tears. "I'm so, so sorry…I will never stop being sorry for leaving you here."

"It's over and done…you've already apologized a million times, and I've forgiven you. I just can't help feeling…just _feeling." _Callie says as she wipes the tears that finally escape.

I slowly approach her, wanting to wrap my arms around her and show her I love her, but hesitant that she might push me away. When I am greeted with open arms, I breathe a sigh of relief and quickly hold her.

"I love you so much, you know that right?" I ask, looking into her sad eyes. She nods her head, a smile beginning to form on her lips. "And I meant what I said when I came back…I will spend the rest of my life telling you just how much I love you, how truly sorry I am for making such a terrible mistake and…."

"Not a mistake," Callie says, cutting me off. "You did what you thought was right…in your crazy, messed up head I know you were trying to protect me. It wasn't the right decision, but it wasn't a mistake. If you hadn't left, we wouldn't have Sophia…I doubt we would have ever worked out all of our issues, I doubt we would have gotten married. So, let's not call it a mistake, ok?"

"Ok," I say, tears of my own now falling. Every single day, I am amazed by this woman…her huge heart, the way she loves me despite…_because of_, my flaws. And I feel the same way…I will love Calliope, the good and the bad, for as long as I live.

"Today we are making new memories here," Callie says as she places a loving kiss on my lips. "Now let's go check our luggage before we miss our flight."

**Callie's POV:**

The flight to Orlando is pretty smooth…though you wouldn't know it based on the death grip my wife has got on my hand. I don't understand how someone who moved around so much as a kid, flying across the country all the time, is still afraid of it. It is my duty as her wife to protect her, so I hold her hand…not that I mind anyway. Arizona looks positively adorable, resting her head on my shoulder…her eyes squeezed shut, her hand gripping mine.

"How the hell did you manage to sit through the flight to Africa and back?" I ask, causing her to abruptly sit up straight and open her eyes. I see the look of panic brought on by my question…I guess bringing up Africa again has her worried. I squeeze her hand, then bring it up to my lips, kissing it so she knows everything's ok. She takes a deep breath, sadness filling those perfect blue eyes.

"Never mind babe," I tell her, running a hand down her back. "I didn't mean to…I was just making conversation."

Arizona chooses to ignore my statement and unbuckles her seatbelt so she can turn to face me completely. She takes both of my hands in hers, looking into my eyes as she speaks.

"The ride _to _Africa, that night…all I did was cry, picturing the look on your face when I left…picturing my life without you. I was so unbelievably sad that I couldn't be nervous…before I knew it, the plane had landed and I stepped into a whole new world…a world I was stupid enough to think could make me get over you."

"Arizona…you don't…don't do this," I say, desperately trying to convince her to end the conversation. Again, she ignores me.

"The ride home…I was so nervous about seeing you, about how you would react…that I couldn't be _nervous _about flying or anything else. That's it…question answered," she says, not letting the tears fall.

I lean in and kiss her so passionately…too passionately for public, but I don't care. Arizona holds my face in her hands, apologizing one last time with her eyes. Then she kisses me…I think this is the kiss she wanted to give me that night…the night I slammed the door in her face. It's a kiss that says _I loved you enough to come back_, reminding me that she is _the one,_ the only one for me.

Quickly, the subject is changed to our vacation…where we want to get off when the boat stops, how we are going to make everyone jealous when we come back all tan and rested, all the places we will make love. I can feel the arousal throughout my whole body when Arizona starts massaging my thigh, whispering in my ear, "Why wait? There's no one sitting next to us."

Before I can even try and talk some sense into my crazy wife, she is grabbing one of the airline blankets from the overhead compartment, making sure to cover both of our laps sufficiently. I close my eyes for a split second to try and compose myself…when suddenly, Arizona is unzipping my jeans and thrusting two fingers deep inside of me. I whisper a curse in Spanish, opening my eyes and looking at my wife in disbelief. She keeps going, being careful not to move the blanket too much. I can't moan…I can't scream…it's almost torturous, but so good. Arizona looks at me with so much lust in her eyes…the look alone is enough to almost take me over the edge. Then she leans over, causing her fingers to curl, and breathes into my ear, "Here comes the flight attendant." With that, she pulls out of me so fast that I gasp at the sudden loss. The woman across from us turns her head towards us. The flight attendant brings us the wind we ordered earlier, asking if we're cold…I guess it's a bit odd to see the blanket. Arizona tells her we're fine, then gets up and says she needs to use the ladies room. Oh no…no way is she gonna get away with this, my little tease.

I follow her to the bathroom, staying far enough behind that she doesn't notice me. I speed up as she nears the restroom, squeezing past a man who is trying to place a bag overhead. Just as Arizona is about to lock the door, I push into the restroom, knocking her into the small countertop.

"Calliope," she says, quite surprised. "What are you…?"

Before she can even finish asking what I'm doing, I yank her pants down and use my knee to spread her legs from behind. She braces herself on the countertop, her hands on each side of the sink. Watching me in the mirror, she raises her arms as I tug on her shirt to remove it. I cup one of her breasts with my right hand, my left planted firmly on her bare hip. I trace circles along her hip…across her back…down to her beautiful behind. She licks her lips, bending down to kiss the hand that is fondling her. Roughly, without warning, I enter her from behind, causing her to scream. "Shhh," I whisper, as I pull her ass close to me, going deeper inside of her. She moves her body rhythmically to my fingers, moaning and whispering my name over and over. I can see she's getting close, her back arching as she looks into my eyes in the mirror. The seatbelt alert dings, letting everyone know that it's almost time to land. "Better get back to our seats," I tell her, pulling out of her this time. She shudders, her eyes begging me to continue. I laugh…walking out and retuning to my seat as fast as my legs can carry me.

When Arizona joins me a few minutes later, I can't keep the smile off of my face as she tries to ignore me and pretend she's mad. "Payback's a bitch," I tell her. "Maybe you'll learn your lesson."

"Ugh huh," she says, "lesson learned. That was just…mean Calliope, mean. You better finish what you started when we get on that boat later."

"Oh, I intend too baby," I tell her. "Don't you worry."

We both laugh, holding hands again as we prepare to land. I have a feeling, even though I left her a bit frustrated…that this flight is a million times better than either one of the flights we discussed earlier.

"New memories," I whisper, leaning in to kiss my girl.

"Good memories," she whispers back, closing her eyes as the plan begins its descent.

**Arizona's POV:**

We land, retrieve our luggage, and grab some lunch before taking a cab over to the port where our cruise ship sails out of. Callie calls and lets Mark know we made it to Florida ok, of course checking in on our little peanut as well. Mark says she's been great and is taking a nap…I say I'm glad she was sleeping so we didn't have to hear her little noises in the background, would have made me sad.

The boat arrives and I jump up and down like a little girl when I see it. "Oh my God Calliope," I say as I continue to bounce around. "There it is…come on, let's go."

"Who who, miss I'm afraid to fly…you're not nervous about sailing?" Callie asks. "I mean, the ship could sink…or one of us could fall overboard…have you even thought about what it would be like if you get sea sick?" I can tell she is trying to get a rise out of me, so I keep my cool and brush off her silly questions.

"Um, pretty sure I have the same motion patch on my arm as you do missy," I tell her. "Although the way I want to rock you later…we could experience some serious motion."

Callie swallows hard, her cheeks turning slightly pink at my words. She playfully swats my arm, then pinches my ass. Now I'm the one whose blushing. I grab the collar on her jacket and pull her in, feeling perfectly free to kiss my wife wherever and however I want on our honeymoon. She doesn't object…in fact, she deepens the kiss, almost purposely trying to draw attention to us. There are a few people looking and for a moment, I start to feel self conscious.

I've never been big on public displays of affection…it's not a gay thing, it's a me thing. I just think that kissing, touching…those things are intimate and should be treasured in privacy. With Calliope especially, I just don't want to share our moments with anyone. She is often the opposite…wanting to share our love with the whole world, show everyone what we have and make them jealous. In Seattle, we meet in the middle. We can't be overly affectionate at work…no one can…but when we are outside of the hospital, we hold hands and share sweet kisses, reserving the passion for at home. At home, there are no rules…no guidelines. Our love and desire for one another is always on display.

"Calliope," I whisper when she ends the kiss, a proud grin on her face. "This is our honeymoon and I am totally up for being more open with affection on the cruise, but we don't want these people to throw us overboard, do we?" I ask.

"No, I guess not," she answers. "Maybe I should just keep my hands off of you…we don't want to take any chances."

I kiss her this time, showing her that I am more than willing to take that chance if it means she'll never stop touching me. She tilts her head back and laughs, making me smile so big it almost hurts.

We board the cruise ship and the captain makes an announcement about where everything is, where to find the informational brochures about dinner and shows, and when and where the boat will stop. When planning this trip, we of course disagreed on many, many things. Callie wanted adventurous and fun, while I wanted peaceful and relaxing. Again, we met in the middle and picked a Caribbean cruise that will stop in

Aruba for one night, take a day in St. Kitts, and stop another night in Dominica. Aruba has beautiful beaches…so I can get Calliope in a bikini again; St. Kitts has mountains and rainforests, so Callie can take me on some wild adventure she has planned for us; and Dominica is said to be very romantic, with many beautiful waterfalls and spas. Sounds good to me, even though I am a bit worried about St. Kitts…or rather, Callie's plan for St. Kitts. The first two days will be spent sailing to our destinations, enjoying the cruise ship itself.

When we finally get to our cabin, we are both a little surprised at how small it seems. Callie picked the largest of all the cabins they offer, but still…this place is tiny. There are two chairs, a small table, a mini fridge, and dresser, and one large bed in the middle of the room. Well, at least the bed is big…I hope that's where we'll be spending most of our time when we're in the cabin. The bathroom is not bad, fairly large in comparison to the room overall…there is a shower and small Jacuzzi tub, a toilet and sink. We unpack our clothes into the dresser, set up all our essentials in the bathroom, and head down to dinner. When we arrive at the restaurant, the hostess asks if we are dining in or ordering to go. I look at Callie, hoping she is thinking what I am.

"To go," she says, lacing her fingers through mine and giving a light squeeze. "Definitely to go." I sigh in contentment at just how well my wife knows me, hoping that she doesn't really mind staying in on our first night. I guess my thoughts are evident on my face because Callie pulls our linked hands up and kisses my knuckles, saying, "There's only one thing I want to see tonight." God, how I love this woman.

After we finish our amazing dinner, we decide to test out the Jacuzzi tub. I tell Callie to make herself comfortable while I get everything ready. I run the water in the tub, adding some bubbles and lighting candles all around it. I get undressed and sink into the hot tub, beckoning to Callie to get her gorgeous ass in here with me. After a moment, she pushes open the bathroom door and just stands…_naked_ in the doorway. She has never looked more beautiful…the way the candlelight is catching her chocolate eyes, her raven hair shining blue…the luscious body that I am so fortunate to worship every night on display before me.

I reach my hand out to her and she slides into the tub behind me, wrapping her long legs around my hips and placing her arms over mine. She takes some soapy water in her hands and travels it down the length of my arms, while her head settles on my shoulder. I lean back into her body, loving the way I feel absorbed by her…so loved and protected and wanted. I rub Callie's legs, from her thighs down to her knees and back up again, She kisses my neck, lightly at first…then harder, sucking on my pulse point and leaving a mark for the world to see.

"Just finishing what I started earlier," she says when I turn to scold her. I kiss her, my mouth wanting to devour those full lips…my tongue battling with hers for dominance. We push and pull one another, kissing and touching until the water gets cold and we are beginning to wrinkle. Callie stands up, offering her hand to help me out of the tub. We dry each other off, then make our way to the giant bed that is calling us. We make love, yelling and screaming as loud as we wanted to on that plane. I'm pretty sure the people in the next cabin over can hear us…but in this moment, I don't care. It's our honeymoon.

Usually, Callie is the one who holds me…the one who spoons me, the one whose chest I lay on. Tonight, however, I just want to hold my beautiful wife and make her feel as safe and loved as she makes me feel. Before she can even roll over, I wrap my arms around her and pull her back close to my front. I can't see her face, but I can feel her smiling. The room is brighter when she smiles. I close my eyes and just inhale my wife, so happy that we are here…happy that today, we left the airport together.

"New memories," Callie whispers as she drifts off to sleep. "Really really good, new memories."

**Chapter 19**

**Callie's POV:**

The past two days aboard the cruise ship have been absolutely amazing. Arizona and I have made love more times than I can even count, taking full advantage of the huge bed in our cab…not to mention the tub, shower, floor, basically anywhere we end up. We have enjoyed fabulous gourmet meals, seen incredible shows, and even gambled a bit. Arizona has woken me up both mornings with a sweet kiss….followed by a cell phone shoved in my face.

"Ok, call him," she says, her puppy dog eyes pleading with me. "I wanna see how our peanut did last night."

I dial Mark's number, unsure of what time it is in Seattle, hoping I don't wake him up again but unable to resist Arizona. When he answers and thanks me for at least waiting until they were both up, I am relieved. Not that I care about waking his lazy ass up…but I certainly don't want to disturb my angel in her slumber.

I am about to ask how Sophia did last night, when Arizona rips the phone out of my hands and hit's the speaker button so she can hear too.

"Sophia, tell your mommies that you are perfectly fine," Mark teases. "You slept just fine, you are eating just fine, no problems whatsoever."

"Are you saying she doesn't even miss us?" Arizona asks, obviously feeling a little hurt that our baby doesn't seem to notice we're gone.

"No…she misses you," Mark says, sadness evident in his voice. "Even though she's been great, not giving me any trouble, not crying or anything…I can tell she is wondering where you two are."

"How can you tell?" Arizona asks him, a frown forming on her face as she looks up at me.

"Well, when she wakes up…she always looks around for a while, like she's trying to find you guys," Mark says.

"Aw, I'm gonna cry," I say when I hear this confession. "Put the speakerphone on so she can hear us Mark," I tell him, grabbing Arizona's hand.

There is silence for a second, followed by the most beautiful sound…Sophia laughing.

"Oh my God," Arizona says, tears in her eyes. "Sophia…it's Mommy. Oh, I miss you so much.

"I miss you too baby," I tell her. "Hi, it's Mama. Are you being a good girl for Daddy?"

I am worried for a second when the laughter abruptly comes to an end…but Mark assures me she is just shocked to hear our voices, describing the way our daughter is intently looking at the phone as if we might pop out of it.

We talk to Sophia for a while, telling her all about our fun trip…well, what we can tell her. She laughs and coos, making our hearts swell with love for her. Finally, we must say our goodbyes…the ship is docking in an hour and we need to grab some breakfast and get ready. We might not get service in Aruba, so we give Mark the name of the resort we will be staying at for the night, begging him to call us again in the morning. He laughs at us, but agrees.

Arizona is in the shower before I can even put the phone down, and I quickly join her. Sadly, there is no time for any fun in the bathroom this morning. We get ready in record time, heading down to the main level just as the breakfast buffet is closing. Arizona run in and grabs a couple bagels and fruit salads, while I make my way to the coffee counter. The ship pulls into the harbor and we wait our turn in line to disembark, frantically eating the makeshift breakfast we have.

Aruba is so beautiful…white sandy beaches and clear blue ocean that goes on for miles and miles. We only pack one bag for the night…bathing suits and towels, a change of clothes, pajamas. Arizona is worried we will need something that we left on the boat, but I assure her that we can buy anything we've forgotten.

"Besides, we are going to spend most of the day lying on the beach, wearing next to nothing. Believe me, I am going to give you everything you need," I whisper as we check into the resort.

"Promise?" she asks, dipping her tongue into my mouth briefly, before dragging me down the hall to our room. I know we are supposed to be out seeing the island, enjoying the beach…but all I want to do when we get to our room is shut the door and rip her clothes off. My wife is so unbelievably hot…her gorgeous legs shown off by her tiny shorts, her messy ponytail exposing that spot on her neck I love so much. I can't wait to see her in that little bikini she threw into our bag this morning…just the thought of it making me wet.

"Stop drooling Calliope," she says when she emerges from the bathroom in a dark blue bikini. I can't help that my jaw dropped…it's silly really because I see her naked every day, but I've never seen her in a bathing suit.

"You look amazing in that," I tell her as I strip down right there, letting her watch.

"And I intend to keep it on until we at least make it to the beach," she says even though I can tell she wants me too. I walk past her, my red bikini in hand, ravishing her with my eyes as I head to the bathroom to change.

A few minutes later, we are heading down to the beach…we stop to grab a drink at the little cart outside of the resort. Arizona orders us two Sangrias and I tell her I'm going to go back inside and grab us some snacks to bring down to the water. I'm only gone a moment, but when I return Arizona is locked in a deep embrace with some woman…a woman I've definitely never seen before. Must be an old friend or colleague I think, already trying to convince myself the hug is harmless.

"Hey," I say as I place the fruit and cheese tray down on the counter. The woman, who looks to be around our age, looks vaguely familiar now that I can see her face. She is thin, has light brown hair, some freckles, greenish eyes…overall pretty, kind of the girl next door type.

"Calliope," Arizona says with so much love. "This is Joanne. She came up and asked me what time it is, and when I turned around I almost fell over….we haven't see each other in what? Eight….ten year?"

"Nine and a half," Joanne answers precisely, her eyes appearing to roam over Arizona's body. Hard not to look I guess, she is that hot. I cough, signaling to my wife that she hasn't exactly finished the introduction.

"Oh, sorry babe," she says as she looks into my eyes. "Joanne, this is my wife Calliope."

Joanne reaches her hand out to shake mine, and as a good girl I do what is required. "Nice to meet you," I say, rather dishonestly. Seriously, did we really have to run into someone Arizona knows on our honeymoon. Now we'll be obligated to have dinner together with her and her husband…or boyfriend, girlfriend…whatever. Ugh…my mind is racing with all these thoughts when suddenly her annoying voice cuts in.

"Calliope huh?" she ponders. "That's a rather interesting name. Congratulations on getting married…I never pegged you as the marrying type Arizona," she says as she raises an eyebrow at her.

"It's Callie…Arizona is the only person who calls me Calliope," I say hoping to stop her from analyzing my wife.

"Oh, well it's nice to meet you…._Callie_," she says, emphasizing my name, almost mocking me. I don't like this person already. Shit, this is going to be a long day. Where's her….whoever she came with?

"So Joanne….are you here with friends…family?" I ask, hoping she'll take the hint or have something more important to do than bother us.

"No…no, I'm alone," she answers. Damn. Please, please let Arizona not be so nice for once….please let us spend the day alone. I'll have dinner with her if I have to, but I want our beach time.

"I'm here on business actually," Joanne continues. "I work for a pharmaceutical company and we had training for our reps here this past weekend. Last night was the last seminar and I couldn't get a flight out until tomorrow, so I am actually going to enjoy Aruba today."

Wait…this is all beginning to click. Joanne…pharmaceuticals. Arizona dated a woman right after college, when she was in med school…this woman, Joanne, dropped out of med school half way through their second year to go into sales. Things ended badly…Arizona never wanted to go into detail. Oh my God, this woman is Arizona's ex. We ran into my wife's ex on our honeymoon…_our honeymoon!_

I feel myself beginning to get hot…anger and jealousy building up inside of me. No wonder she was checking Arizona out. She better watch herself…I am so not above decking her. Ok, calm down Callie…calm down, I tell myself. There's no reason to freak out…this is just a really strange thing that's happened, we have to deal with it. I'll be polite and make small talk…then let her know we are on our honeymoon so she'll leave us alone.

"Well," Arizona says, snapping me out of my own mind for the second time now. "It was great seeing you…glad to hear you are doing well. Callie and I are actually on our honeymoon and we have a pretty tight schedule, so…"

"Oh, ok…so sorry to intrude," she says, clearly wanting Arizona to jump in and say that's she not intruding…that she can share in our honeymoon plans…that she can wait her turn to have sex with _my_ wife. "Enjoy your vacation…it was lovely seeing you again. You look amazing Arizona…you always did."

Joanne reaches out and shakes my hand again, then leans in and places a kiss on Arizona's cheek while looking me right in the eye. This bitch is asking for it. I start to move, but Arizona's hand in mine stops me, her eyes begging me to stay put and just let her leave. So I do.

Joanne heads back into the resort, while Arizona and I start making our way down to the water. The white sand is so hot against my feet…but the heat rising in my chest, at that woman, is ten times hotter.

"That was Joanne?" I ask her, almost accusatory. "_The _Joanne…the Joanne you dated ten…oh, sorry…nine and a half years ago. Guess she wasn't counting or anything."

"Callie…I, I don't know what to say," Arizona tells me. "Yes…that's the Joanne I dated…many, many years ago. The Joanne I haven't seen, or talked to in a decade. I can't believe she is here…I mean, she just asked me for the time. I am just as surprised as you are."

"Yeah…surprised is the nicest word I could use right now," I say. "She was looking you up and down the entire time…then she kisses you like that."

"Whoa whoa…she kissed me on the cheek," Arizona says. "Don't make a thing out of this…nothing happened. So, we ran into my ex. Ok. It's not a big deal."

"Not a big deal?" I ask, practically screaming as we lay out our beach towels. "That woman was ready to jump your bones right in front of me…she wanted you Arizona. Didn't you hear her? 'Oh Arizona, you look amazing,' blah blah. And that kiss…she was looking right at me, like she wanted to piss me off. But oh no, it's not a big deal."

"No…a _big_ deal is living across the hall from a man whose seen your wife naked almost as much as you have," she says. "The same man who made a baby with her…the same man who barges in on us during sex, who we will always have to share our child with…who we will be tied to forever. That's a big fucking deal," Arizona screams, walking down to the water without looking back.

I sit there…alone on my towel, thinking about what an ass I am. She's right…Arizona is right, and I am an ass. Not just for reacting the way I did, but for never fully understanding what Mark's presence does to her. I was jealous after spending five minutes with a woman who Arizona dated a decade ago…my mind immediately went to places I couldn't stop it from going, hating this woman because she touched my wife…kissed my wife, all those years ago. I can't even imagine how Arizona must feel…spending every day with Mark, even if it's just for a few minutes most of the time. And God, we work with him too. How can she even stand it? No wonder she gets upset when he comes over unannounced…or makes a comment about us sleeping together, or my sex life with her. It's like a slap in the face every time…and I really never realized it. Am I that stupid? Or just oblivious? I don't know…but I need to fix this.

I walk down to the edge of the water, scouring the ocean and sand for the woman I love…the woman I hope will forgive me. I spot her a few feet away, picking up seashells, the wind sweeping the hair across her face. She is so beautiful…even though she's probably really angry, her face is just so perfectly innocent and kind. She has to forgive me…I love her too much to ruin our honeymoon. When she sees me coming, she stops walking and just waits. At first, she won't look at me…I can tell she's been crying and my heart sinks.

"I'm so sorry," I say sincerely. "I'm a stupid, jealous moron…and I totally understand why you're mad."

"I'm not mad Calliope," she says, finally looking into my eyes. I don't know if it's the light…or the tears…but her blue eyes are so crystal clear, they match the ocean before us perfectly. "I was…mad," she continues. "Because you were acting like you didn't trust me or something…like something might actually happen with Joanne. And you know that nothing would ever happen, right?"

I nod my head. "I do. Because you love _me_," I answer, more and more ashamed of myself.

"I don't just _love _you, Calliope," Arizona says before I can go on. "I married you….you are my soul mate, my forever. Joanne…she is just my past."

"I know, we both have a past…it's just, yours has never been visible before. I was jealous," I admit. "I couldn't help it…she was looking at you, and I know she's seen you…and I was being possessive…don't want anyone to touch what's mine. And you're mine."

"I get it Cal," Arizona says. "Believe me, I do. Why do you think it's so hard for me with Mark sometimes? I've gotten past a lot of shit with him…but I'll never get over knowing he's been with you, made Sophia with you. It will always hurt."

"I'm sorry," I say again, reaching my hand out to her. She takes it…a breathe a small sigh of relief.

"It' ok," she says as she inches her way closer. "I realized that the way you acted back there…the jealous lunatic you became…that's how I've been, especially in the past…with Mark. I guess I never realized how crappy that must have been for you. I know it's different, but still…you can't change the past. We can only change the future. And that's why we got married…made a commitment to one another. That's why we're on this honeymoon…because you and I have a future, without anyone else in it. Well, except our peanut."

I pull her into my arms, kissing the top of her head as she rests it on my chest. "I love you," I whisper as I lift her chin up to see her face. "

"I love you too Cal," she says, leaning in for a quick kiss. "Now, why don't we just start over? Go back to our spot and drink our Sangrias and enjoy this beautiful island."

"Mmmm," I say as I pull her back in for a longer, deeper kiss. "That sounds great. Let's go."

Hand in hand, we walk back to our spot and sit on our beach towels….we eat the fruits and cheeses, drink our delicious alcoholic beverages, basking in the warmth of the sun. When we get hot, we go down to the water for a dip. Arizona puts her arms around my neck, wrapping her legs around my waist so that I am basically carrying her in the water.

"Show me," she breathes in my ear, her tongue darting out to flick my earlobe before sucking it into her mouth.

"Show you what?" I ask, a little confused but very excited.

"Show me that I'm yours…make me yours Calliope," she says as she continues to nibble on my ear. "I have to admit…a jealous wife is a very, very sexy thing."

"Yeah?" I ask, swallowing the lump in my throat. "Well maybe I should get jealous a little more…although, the idea of seeing anyone else look at you that way doesn't appeal to me. I wanted to slap her, make her forget she's even had a glimpse of you naked. I really hate the idea that anyone else has been with you in the same way I have."

Suddenly, the sexy part of things seems to be fading…the nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach coming back, the jealousy taking over by just talking about Joanne again. Arizona must sense the change in my demeanor because she tightens her grip around my neck, pulling me to look at her.

"First of all Calliope," she starts, "no one has been with me the way you have. I've never loved anyone the way I love you…never made love to anyone like that before. Believe me, Joanne has never ever been with me in that way."

"Good," I say, a smile appearing at her words. "I've never made love to anyone before either….I may have thought I did, but being with you is just…it's completely different than anything else I've ever experienced."

Now she is the one smiling…that smile that just melts me every time. She pulls my neck down so that our lips meet, thrusting her tongue deep inside my mouth. We get caught up in the moment, kissing passionately…hands trailing down each other underneath the water. A few times I lose my footing and we almost go under, causing Arizona to slide down past my hips, allowing our most intimate parts to rub together briefly. The sensation is so amazing…the cool water rushing around us, warmth radiating from the heat between her legs. As requested, I make her mine…teasing her a bit at first, touching her with my hand but not entering her yet. When she gets frustrated, she begins to do the same to me…removing one hand from around my neck and rubbing me through my bathing suit.

Finally, neither one of us can take it and we both give in to our desires…it's difficult to hold her up and bury myself inside of her while staying above water, and every now and the I slip…causing my fingers to slide out momentarily before I thrust them back in, harder and deeper every time. Arizona screams, the sounds of the vast ocean making it impossible for anyone to hear her. Seeing her like this…her wet skin glistening in the sun, her back arching as she desperately hangs on, her blue eyes reflected in the water…she is so gorgeous, so unbelievably radiant. I maker her scream again as I push her body down onto my hand, holding her there with my free arm tightly around her waist, swaying back and forth in the water.

"Mine," I whisper, running my tongue across her ear, then down her neck and in between her wet breasts. I bite her bikini top right below her cleavage, pulling the fabric out and letting it snap against her skin. She bites her lip in ecstasy, making me want to taste her. I work my tongue back up until I reach her mouth, licking her bottom lip before sucking it in. She tastes salty and sweet, and my lips devour her while I continue to make her scream.

"Mine," I say, louder this time, letting go of her so she can move her hips freely. Watching her now I am about to come undone, without her even touching me. When she suddenly pushes herself off of me and leans back so far that her head is dipping in the water, I scream this time. "Mine." She has positioned herself low enough now that our cores are touching, cool water passing between them creating an unbelievable sensation. We ride the waves of pleasure together, taking possession of what is rightfully ours. When we both start to go limp, exhaustion taking over our bodies, we drag ourselves back up to the beach and fall down in the sand. Arizona purposely lands on top of me, kissing me with ever ounce of love inside of her.

"Yours," she whispers in my ear.

Any jealousy I felt earlier has been forgotten. All I feel now is love…love for this amazing woman who I am so lucky to call my wife. That's right…_my _wife…_mine. _And the whole world should be jealous.

**Chapter 20**

**Arizona's POV:**

Waking up on the beach, wrapped lightly in a towel and tightly in my beautiful wife's arms, just makes me so happy. I love the beach…always have, something about the sun and water that makes you feel alive. Making love to my wife the way I did in the ocean…that makes me feel more alive than ever. Calliope is asleep, every gorgeous feature on her face glowing in the sun's rays. I lean down and kiss her lips softly, running my fingers across her cheek.

"Wake up baby," I whisper, kissing her over and over until she opens those warm, brown eyes.

"Hey you," she says, holding me close as she runs her hands through my half-wet hair. "Guess we really wore ourselves out earlier, huh?" she asks with laughter in her voice.

"Yup…so much that we've been asleep for nearly four hours," I reply, causing her to sit up quickly and grab her watch. "Relax Cal…we're on vacation," I say as I push her back down into the sand.

"I know…and we only have one day here in Aruba. We made reservations for dinner at the resort's fancy restaurant, remember?" she asks, again sitting up. "I wanted to go buy something to wear…figured we could shop separately, surprise each other…if we pick something fast enough we can squeeze in a shower together before dinner."

"Ok, I'm sold," I say quickly. "Hot shower sex followed by my hot wife in a hot dress…hot, hot, hot. I'll meet you back in our room in an hour."

Callie takes our things up to the front desk and the concierge assures her that it will be delivered to our room safely. I shuffle down the boardwalk, still a little groggy and unsure of where to shop. When I walk past a little shop with a beautiful white dress in the window, I decide to go in. I ask the woman behind the counter about the dress on display…she tells me it's one of a few wedding dresses they sell. Apparently a lot of people have destination weddings here…I can totally see the appeal, it's beautiful and so peaceful. Since the dress is made for a beach wedding, it's not too fancy to buy for regular use and not too casual to wear to dinner later. I decide to try it on in my size…and fall in love with it immediately. It is bright white, creating a nice contrast against my now tan skin…it's short and simple, but classic. It's very me. I purchase a white orchid to put in my hair and a pair of very expensive flip flops. Callie told me to spend as much money as I wanted…so I will. I'm sure she is spending a fortune…and I'm sure whatever I get to see her in later will be worth every penny.

A few hours later, we've managed to shower after quite some time doing anything but getting clean in there. Callie wants to keep the element of surprise for dinner, so she stays in the bathroom while I get ready in the bedroom. When I am done, I knock on the bathroom door and tell her I will meet her in twenty minutes at the restaurant. I want to pick up a little gift for her…a necklace I saw in one of the shops this morning when we were together.

I race to the jewelry shop, hoping I make it there before they close. Knowing exactly what I want, I head to the counter with my wallet out. The clerk is helping someone else, so I wait my turn in line. The woman pays for her purchase then turns to leave…it's Joanne.

"Oh hello again," I say, feeling a little uneasy about the situation. "What are the odds, huh?" I ask, a nervous chuckle escaping.

"Relax Arizona," she says. "Your wife's not here to babysit you…you can be youself."

"I'm always myself Joanne," I say, kind of offended at her comment. "Especially around my wife. It's just a little awkward running into my ex on our honeymoon."

"Honeymoon," she laughs. "I still can't believe you got married…wait, is marriage even legal in…?"

"Seattle," I answer, knowing exactly where she was going with that question. "We live in Seattle, where we both practice. And no…it's not legal. Technically, we have a domestic partnership…but we had a wedding and vows…and we do have very legal documents concerning our daughter and…"

"Daughter?" she asks, interrupting me. "You can't be serious…you never wanted children."

"People change, Joanne," I tell her. "Calliope…she changed me, made me want all that…a marriage and a family." She is silent for a few minutes while I pay for the necklace and have them put it in a nice box for me.

"Well, I am happy for you Arizona," she says eventually, avoiding eye contact. "I wish you and Callie the best of luck."

"Thank you," I say. "Speaking of Callie…I'd better go, she'll be waiting for me. Have a good night."

Joanne says goodbye, leaning in to give me another very awkward kiss on the cheek. I feel so uncomfortable being around her…suddenly, I get what Callie meant about her. She is staring at me as I leave…I can feel it. Maybe she still wants me…could that be possible after all these years? Or maybe she still hates me…our relationship didn't exactly end on a high note. Who knows? Maybe she just feels strange about all of this too. It's probably nothing….not that it matters, I doubt we'll be seeing any more of her.

I clear my head and sprint to the restaurant…luckily I bought flip flops instead of heels. I am only a few minutes late, but Callie already looks worried. Not that I can blame her. I see her sitting at the bar and my first instinct is to rush to her, apologizing for being late and making it up with a kiss. But then I see what she is wearing…a blue dress, like the color of the ocean, that clings to her perfectly to accentuate every incredible curve she has. Her hair is curled and falls perfectly around her flawless face. When I see her like this, I just want to watch her…just want to take a moment to _see_ my beautiful wife. So I do…I stand right outside the restaurant for a few minutes, just watching her. The way she brushes her hair out of her face with her long fingers…the way she shakes her legs nervously as she waits, the way her big, brown eyes search the room for me. Oh my God…I am so in love. I still can't believe I am this in love sometimes.

Finally I enter the restaurant and come up behind her, placing a lingering kiss on the back of her neck as I slide my hand into hers. She closes her eyes, letting out a sigh of relief, then turns the barstool so she is facing me. I give her a proper kiss on the lips, lingering again as I just can't get enough of her.

"Mmmm," she moans. "Is that for being late? Because if it is…you can be late a lot more often." She smiles at me, lighting up the room.

"I'm sorry I was late," I say, afraid to bring up the reason why but knowing I have to. Calliope and I made a promise to be honest with one another, and I don't want to keep an unnecessary secret from my wife. "I wanted to pick something up down at the boardwalk before the shops closed…and I, I ran into Joanne again."

"Oh," Callie says, her hand going a little limp in mine. "I see. Well, guess it's not that surprising considering we are staying at the same resort."

"Oh, so you're not mad?" I ask, grateful she seems to be taking this so well.

"Mad? No," she says, the grip on my hand tightening again. "I was wrong earlier, and I'm sorry. And I don't know Joanne, but I do trust _you…_my absolutely stunning wife. My God Arizona, that dress is amazing. You look so, so beautiful," Callie says as she leans in for a kiss.

"You look pretty damn good yourself Calliope…you know, half the reason I was late is because I spent the past five minutes just staring at you from out there," I say, gesturing towards the doorway. "I swear, you are the most gorgeous thing on the planet right now. That color is so beautiful on you, it…"

"It matches your eyes," she says, interrupting me. This time, I am the one to kiss her…passionately, taking control of her mouth with mine. I lick my lips when we stop for air, loving the way she tastes. I am hungry, but if given the choice, I would skip dinner and run back upstairs to our room and make love to her right now. I know she wants to have a romantic dinner though…and the anticipation will only make the end result that much sweeter later on.

As if reading my mind, Callie brushes her lips against my ear and whispers," Eating, dancing, drinking…then upstairs, where we can do all of those again, minus the dresses."

I swallow hard, my heart beating faster at the implication of her words. Callie gets up, leading me to a private room in the back where we enjoy a candlelit dinner alone. It is so romantic and sweet that she planned this night for us…renting the private room, ordering our favorite dishes and the best wine. When the main course is through, the waiter comes over to Callie and asks if she would like the dessert tray to be brought out yet. She nods and smiles, a slightly mischievous look in her eye.

"I don't think we need a whole dessert try for just the two of us Cal," I tell her. "I plan on having another kind of dessert later, don't want to over do it."

Just then the waiter reappears, carrying a small tray of donuts. Callie laughs, taking the tray from him and setting it before me on the table. "I love you," she whispers, before feeding me a bite. Simple words and a simple gesture…both so perfect, just like her.

I decide it's time to give her the necklace. After finishing my donut, I reach into my purse and pull out the little black box and hand it to Callie. Her eyes question the gift, but I nod for her to open it and she doesn't argue. When she sees it, tears fill her eyes.

"It's beautiful Arizona," she says. "Is this what you were shopping for earlier? I knew you had something up your sleeve."

She pulls the necklace out of the box, holding it up in the light to examine it. It's very similar to the necklace she is wearing now…our necklace from a very happy Valentine's Day not so long ago…except this one has two overlapping hearts with a smaller heart dangling in between them.

"I know you love the necklace you have…it represents us, which is why I always wear mine too. "But this one," I say, getting a little teary myself, "this one represents our family. The little heart right in the middle…for our little peanut."

Callie lets the tears fall, not bothering to wipe them away as she hands me the necklace. I move to stand behind her, necklace in hand, placing open-mouthed kisses all along her neck. She breathes a little heavier, closing her eyes and smiling as I clasp the necklace and slide the pendant down, letting it fall softly against her beautiful caramel skin.

"I'll say it again," she whispers as she stands up to look in my eyes. "I love you. And I love my new necklace…thank you."

"Your welcome…thank you for this awesome dinner," I say in return. "Especially the donuts…we better have them boxed up and sent to our room…I'm pretty sure I'm gonna need a couple to sustain me for the many hours I plan on being up with you tonight."

Callie laughs, blushing slightly and says, "Why don't we go to the club room and dance for a while? I want to show off my beautiful bride."

Dancing with Calliope is one of my favorite pastimes, although I must admit I prefer to do it in the privacy of our own home….that way I have her all to myself, and we can easily dance our way to the bedroom when things heat up. And they always do…it's impossible not to want this woman once you see her shake those hips, moving to the beat of the music. Callie loves to dance in public, says it doesn't matter if there are a thousand people watching us…that it's fun to grind our bodies together and not be allowed to take it any further. I will agree…it's good foreplay. I just have to keep my jealousy and insecurity in tact…like I said, it's impossible not to want Callie when she dances…so other people often do, making me want to get out the bricks on occasion.

As we make our way out onto the dance floor, I glance over at the bar to see how long this line is…unlike my wife, if I am going to dance in public I need a few drinks.

"Oh shit," I say under my breath…apparently not quiet enough.

"What?" Callie asks. "What's wrong? Did you leave something back at our table?"

I shake my head no, grabbing Callie's arm and steering her in the direction of the bar. She looks confused and says she doesn't mind going up to get the drinks. Without being too obvious, I raise my finger and point at the reason for my dismay…Joanne.

"Oh man," Callie says. "Again? What is she stalking you?"

"I don't know," I answer, dropping my head a bit in frustration. "Maybe she just wanted a drink…but still."

"Listen," Callie says, lifting my chin to look at her. "This can go one of two ways. We can leave and then I won't get to dance with you in that very sexy dress…or we can have a few drinks with her so it's not weird, then go out and dance."

I am shocked to hear this suggestion…I mean, does she really want to spend the night with my ex? I doubt it…but she's right. If we want to stay and dance, we will have to deal with her…and better to do it on our terms, just get it over with so to speak.

Joanne spots us at that exact moment, so I wave and Callie gestures for her to join us.

"Since your all alone here, I thought maybe you would like to have a few drinks with us," Callie says sweetly. "I can't imagine being on this beautiful island without my beautiful wife…I mean, I know you're here on business, but this place is all about pleasure," Callie says as she winks at me seductively. Subtle Cal, real nice. Now I see the wheels spinning in her head…Joanne is going to have a very interesting night with my wife. But it's hot…watching her put my ex in her place so nonchalantly…very, very hot.

We grab a few drinks and sit at a small table near the dance floor. For a while, we make regular conversation discussing work and where we live. Joanne informs us she still lives in Massachusetts, although she spends most of her time traveling.

"I can't understand how you live in Seattle Arizona," she says, rolling her eyes bit. "All that rain…you always were such a sunny girl. Doesn't it depress you?"

"Actually," I tell her, "Seattle is really quite beautiful. I will admit, I didn't like it at first…I only went there because I was offered a position as head of pediatrics at our hospital. Anyway, yeah…the rain sucked at first. But you get used to it, learn to love it…and when it doesn't rain, when the sun shines in Seattle…it's the most amazing thing ever. It's like winning the weather lottery."

I giggle at myself, as Callie pulls me towards her and kisses my temple. "Such a way with words," she teases. I nudge her playfully, leaning back against her so she can put her arms around me. Joanne is watching the two of us and man…if looks could kill. I can see her eyes narrow at Callie every time she touches me, and the redness in her cheeks that always indicates anger is ever present when I reciprocate those touches. She's jealous…I find it hard to believe since it has been so long, but she's alone and maybe it's more of the fact that she never found her "Callie" than actually wanting me back. Either way, I am starting to feel uncomfortable again.

I decide to head back to the bar for another round, desperately needing the alcohol to make it through this night. We throw back a few more drinks, causing Joanne to become even more flirtatious and Callie to become even more possessive. I have a feeling things aren't going to end well. Callie keeps a firm hand on my thigh, which I gladly accept and place my own hand over. There is an awkward silence and for a moment, I think maybe we'll get lucky and Joanne will take the hint and just go already. No such luck. She finishes her drink, the alcohol obviously removing any inhibitions she had.

"So Callie," Joanne begins, "Arizona tells me that you two have a daughter."

"Yes," Callie answers. "Sophia…she is nine, almost ten months. She's so in love with her mommy here," Callie says as she runs her hand down the length of my arm lovingly.

"Funny," Joanne says while laughing a little, "I can't picture Arizona with a child. We were always so carefree, so let's live in the here and now…aside from work and school, Arizona never made a single plan that lasted more than a week."

"Yeah, well…" I say, "people change. Most people, anyway."

Callie looks very uneasy at the moment, and I can't tell if she's had too much to drink or just had enough of this conversation. The last thing I want is for her to revisit any doubts she had about me staying with her for the long haul…she has to know by now that I'm never going to bail on her, that I want all of our plans. Callie excuses herself, saying she needs to use the restroom. I want to go after her, to make sure she is ok…but I need to stay and put an end to all of this.

"Joanne," I say once Callie walks off. "What are you doing? I know you might not understand it because I'm not the same person you once knew…but it's been ten years…I've changed."

"People don't change that much," she responds. "One day you are going to wake up and remember what your life was like before…before being tied down with a kid you never really wanted, pretending to be the perfect little housewife. You'll remember what life was like back when we lived in Boston, spending our days off at the Cape, or going wine tasting…actually living, not being stuck in the house all day."

"Shut up Joanne," I yell, furious at what she is saying. "You don't know me now…you don't know my wife, or what we have together. You're right that I didn't want kids…not with you…not with anyone before her. And my daughter…our daughter, she's the best thing that ever happened to us. I love her more than wine or vacations, even more than being a doctor."

I turn to walk away, but Joanne grabs my arm to turn me back around. Before I even see it coming, her lips are on mine. I keep my mouth closed, not wanting her to kiss me, and push her off of me.

"I still have feelings for you…I knew it right away when I saw you this morning," she confesses.

"Well, I'm sorry to hear that," I tell her. "Because I am madly in love with my wife…and my daughter…and there's nothing you could say or do to change that. Now please, just leave us alone so we can enjoy our honeymoon. I don't even want Callie to know about this…"

"Too late…I saw everything," Callie says as she appears suddenly, taking my hand. "And I heard everything too Joanne. You have some nerve telling my wife that she will regret our marriage…and our child. Arizona loves our baby…and she is the most incredible mother. She's right…you don't know her at all. Now get the hell away from my wife."

If I were Joanne, I would run…a hot tempered jealous Latina is the last thing you want coming down on you. But she doesn't' run…she doesn't even walk away at first…she just laughs. What a bitch. I literally have to hold Callie back for a minute, until Joanne finally retreats and goes to sit at the bar.

"Calliope, I'm so…" I start to say, feeling horrible about all of this.

"Don't you dare apologize to me," Callie interjects. "No. She…that woman…she's the only person who did something wrong. Bitch. I can't believe she is going to sit there at the bar and stare at us. You should have let me punch her. I can't believe she kissed you, I want to kill her right now. Ughhhh."

"Callie, let's go…let's go back to our room," I plead with her, grabbing her hand.

"No," Callie says simply.

"Haven't we had enough for one night?" I ask. "She's not going to leave."

"Well, neither are we," Callie informs me. "She wants to stay and watch us…that's what she can do. I am going to take you out on there and make love to you on that dance floor."

I raise my eyebrows, frightened by her words…she smiles and says, "Come on, you'll see."

Callie drags me to the middle of the floor, directly across from where Joanne is sitting, giving her a perfect view. As the song starts, Callie pulls me to her, our bodies so close yet not really touching. She looks right in my eyes as she rakes her hands down the length of my sides, then grabs my waist and twists so that I am pressing up against her. She starts swaying, moving her body with mine…she's right, it's like we're making love. Granted, we are fully clothed and not really touching all that much…but our bodies are so in tune, to one another and to the music…we feel like one person out there on the dance floor. Joanne sits and stares, anger and jealousy displayed on her face…other people are watching too, staring at our intimate dance.

I close my eyes and thank God that my life turned out the way it has…that I left Boston and moved to Seattle, that I kissed Calliope in that bar bathroom, that she married me, that we have our little girl. I am overwhelmed with the need to be closer to my wife…to remove the articles of clothing, to _dance_ with her in the privacy of our hotel room.

"Enough," I whisper in her ear as I turn my body into her. "I've spent enough time in this room with her starting…enough time with all these other people. All I want is you…nothing more, just you. Please."

Callie doesn't respond….she just starts kissing me, deeply and desperately, obviously wanting the same thing. When she breaks the kiss and takes my hand to leave, she keeps her eyes locked with Joanne's. "As you can see…she's mine," Callie says as we pass her.

Oh yes, I am hers…and I want nothing more than for her to stake her claim on me, take me over and over. We stay silent as we walk to our room…we will need to talk later, but not now. Now we need to pick up where we left off, rip each other's clothes off and give ourselves to one another. As soon as we get the door opened, Callie pushes me hard up against the door. She plants hard kisses all over my face, down my neck and back up until she reaches my ear. She pulls the lobe into her mouth, sucking lightly before breathing out, "Mine…you are mine. These," she says as she covers my lips with hers, "are mine." Then, moving to the pulse point on my neck, the spot that she loves to mark, she says, "This…this is mine." I let out a moan as I feel her draw my flesh into her mouth, surely bruising the skin enough to leave a reminder. She cups one of my breasts, roughly kneading it before suddenly ripping my dress down and sliding her hand underneath my bra. Again, she is rough…being territorial…and I don't know if anything could be more sexy. The raw emotion I can feel in her touch, the look of lust in her eyes, the insistent way she is demanding I give in to her every move…she is reclaiming what is hers, showing me that no one will ever love me this way.

I try to touch her too, to unzip her dress so I can feel her skin against mine…but she stills my hands by holding them firmly above my head. I won't argue…after what she witnessed this evening, I understand her desire to be in control, to just take me. As jealous as I've been about her past lovers…about Mark…I've never actually had to _see_ someone else touch her, kiss her. I don't know what I would do if I witnessed someone else's lips on hers…I should have let her kill Joanne.

I am quickly snapped out of my thoughts when I feel her slide my panties down and thrust two fingers deep inside of me. Her free hand is still holding my arms against the door, my legs starting to buckle as I have no means of support. Callie sees that I am struggling, so she releases my arms, allowing me to rest them on her shoulders. She continues her work, using two fingers then three, loving me so hard I can see stars. Even with the support of her body, I feel myself going down…sinking to the floor. Callie lets it happen, dragging her body on top of mine, never letting her fingers pull out. Just when I am approaching ecstasy, Callie removes her fingers abruptly, causing me to scream at the loss. Her dark, hooded eyes tell me not to worry…a finger on my lips silencing my cry before it is replaced with her beautiful mouth. She kisses me so passionately, whispering, " Mine." Kissing her way down my body, she repeats her mantra over and over again…"Mine." Every time she kisses a new spot, she claims it as her own…claims me as her own. When she reaches my thighs, I feel the heat rising in between them as she places hard, wet kisses up and down their interior. I moan in anticipation of where she's moving next. As her lips hit my core, I feel the vibration of her word against my body. "Mine," she breathes out one last time before dipping her warm tongue inside of me. She kisses and licks and sucks, causing me to buck my hips and scream her name.

"Calliope," I yell, tears filling my eyes as I reach my climax. "I'm yours, Calliope…I'm yours."

I cry…with pleasure and with pure love for this amazing woman…my wife. When my breathing finally returns to normal, I pull Callie up so that we can hold eachother, resting my head on her chest. She grabs a blanket off the end of the bed to cover us on the floor, throwing a possessive leg around my body.

"That was…amazing," I say as I look into her eyes. "You didn't have to do that…I mean, you didn't have to prove anything. I'm always yours…I was yours all along."

"I know," she says, "but I wanted to….wanted to make us both very aware of the fact that you belong to me. I know it's silly, but I had to do it…to erase that kiss, to replace it with something so much better."

"You know that kiss didn't mean anything, right?" I ask, wanting to be sure she understands. "Not to me. I pushed her away…you saw that, didn't you?"

"Yes," Callie answers, holding me close. "I know it was her…all her. But still…I just, I needed to. I didn't, I couldn't let that kiss stay on your lips. So I kissed you…there…everywhere, places I know she will never kiss you again."

"Callie," I say, noticing the tears in her eyes. "It was a long time ago….I haven't even thought about her in years. Please, don't you think about her…about me being with her. Believe me, I've gone down that road one too many times…it's not a pleasant trip."

Callie is silent for a few minutes, and I can tell there is something on the tip of her tongue.

"What?" I ask so quietly, lifting my head to make sure she can hear me.

"Nothing," she says…but I know it's not nothing. I give her a look that says she better tell me what she's thinking. "I'm just sorry…again, this whole thing happens and I get all jealous and pissed off…after months of you trying to tell me, trying to explain that this is how you felt around Mark. I just can't believe what a moron I am sometimes."

"Hey," I say loudly now, as I force her to look at me. "That's my wife you're talking about…besides, you can't be a moron. You married me."

"Smartest thing I ever did," Callie says lightly, although I can tell she means it. I lean down and kiss her, letting my lips linger on hers for a moment.

"I love you Calliope," I whisper against her cheek. "For the rest of my life, your lips are the only ones I want to kiss."

We make love again…this time, I take the reigns, showing her that she belongs to me as well. When we're through, we take a nice hot bath, talking about Sophia and how much we miss her…how we both can't wait to hear her little noises during our daily phone call tomorrow morning. Callie cracks open a bottle of wine after we finally get into our pajamas, and I crack open my box of donuts. We turn on the stereo and dance, just the way I like to…alone… tearing off our clothes for the second time when dancing just isn't enough.

**Chapter 21**

**Callie's POV:**

I never thought I'd say this…not in a million years…but I am so glad we are not in Aruba anymore. Don't get me wrong, there were definitely some good parts of our one day trip, like the mind-blowing sex with my gorgeous wife…in the ocean, in our room, and almost on the dance floor. Unfortunately, a woman whose name I won't mention again, if at all possible, ruined what should have been perfect. I am not going to dwell on it, however…Arizona more than proved last night that I am the only one she wants, forever.

We got up early, packed our few belongings, and headed down to port in search of our cruise ship. Arizona spotted it from a mile away, dragging me towards the boat at full speed….guess she was also anxious to put this part of our trip behind us. We had about a two hour cruise to St. Kitts, where we will be spending the day. All in all, the captain says we will have about ten hours at this destination…which will surely give me enough time to add a little adventure to our getaway. Arizona typically likes to relax on vacation, which I can totally understand. As surgeons our professional lives are anything but relaxing…and as new mothers, are personal lives are endlessly busy as well. But we've had a chance to relax, and I am a firm believer that you should experience everything life has to offer…and it's not often we have the opportunity to be offered thrilling excursions in a majestic rainforest.

Little does my non-adventurous wife know…but today we are going zip lining. At least I hope "we" are going…Arizona tends to chicken out when it comes to anything that might be a tad bit scary. I almost killed her once when we spend a hundred bucks on admission to an amusement park, and the only rides she dared to go on were the tea cups and the merry go round. At least we'll have someone to take Sophia on the kitty rides in a few years. I forced her to go on one roller coaster…she clutched my hand so tight the whole time and kept her eyes closed, counting down the seconds to the end of the ride I promised was only two minutes long. Yeah…she's a baby. But she's my baby, and I couldn't love her more. Today should be interesting…I hope she gives this a chance, it's really amazing. I went to Mexico on spring break during college once, and my friends convinced me to try zip lining….I think I went four more times after it was over, paying the guide to let me keep going without getting back in line.

When we arrive in St. Kitts, only a backpack in tow, we decide to grab something to eat before we start on our journey. Arizona looks nervous, as she knows I've already planned our entire day.

"It's gonna be ok," I tell her, gently kissing the top of her head as she sighs into my neck. She begins kissing my favorite spot there, flicking her tongue against my skin, trying to arouse me. It's working, but I need to stop her before I forget all about our excursion. I let out a little moan, then pull her body away from mine, causing the ever adorable pout from Arizona.

"What?" she asks, as if she doesn't know what she's doing. "Can't I love my wife?"

"Yes, you can _love_ your wife," I answer. "But we are still doing this…I will not let you tempt me out of zip lining."

"Zip lining?" she exclaims, her blue eyes wide with fear. "But I hate heights, I'm petrified of heights Callie…you know, I don't even like flying in an airplane…inside, with seatbelts." She covers her face with her hands, obviously distressed about what she thinks is impending doom.

"Arizona…" I say, pulling her hands away from her face and gathering them in my own, "It's alright, it's gonna be alright. Fun…it's gonna be fun, I promise. I am going to be right behind you all the way, holding you every minute."

"You can hold me right here…we don't have to go anywhere. Come on, we can rent one of those little huts on the beach over there…I will spend the entire day making you happy, doing anything you want without my clothes on. Doesn't that sound nice? I mean, this is our honeymoon…we should be making love."

"Babe, we've been making love more than a couple of horny teenagers. Don't get me wrong…I love it, every time is amazing…but zip lining is amazing too. This is our chance to have a little adventure together,…I promise nothing bad will happen, I'll take good care of you. Just trust me, ok?"

Apparently, my wife has just as hard of a time saying no to me as I do to her. We reach the top of the mountain, high above the trees, the beautiful jungle below us. When we are strapped into the harness together, Arizona in front of me, the guide asks if we are ready. Arizona shakes her head no, but I nod for him to release the line. We soar through the rainforest, gliding down the line among the birds and exotic butterflies, sounds of waterfalls and animal noises filling our ears. For the second time today, I pull Arizona's hands away from her face, not wanting her to miss this. She keeps her eyes pinched closed at first, but from behind her I can see her slowly lifting her lids to take in the world around us.

"Oh my God, Calliope," she says in awe. "This is incredible. Look at the little monkeys over there…aw, they're so cute. And look…there's a waterfall…it's so beautiful. This is amazing…there's so much to see, and I'm…I'm not afraid anymore. You're holding me…and I'm so not afraid."

"See, I told you this was awesome," I say as I place a kiss on her cheek. "I really wanted to take you someplace you've never been."

"Baby, you do that every night," she replies. I can tell she's smiling, as I catch a glimpse of those amazing dimples. "I love you Cal," she says, turning as best she can in the harness to look at me. "Thank you so much for not letting me miss out on this."

We go two more times before the day is done…once side by side so we can see one another in all the beauty, and once with Arizona behind me…taking her turn to hold me, to show me the world. It is a perfect day…one that has gone by way too quickly. We arrive back at the port to continue on our cruise, spending the night aboard the ship as it makes its way to our final stop. As promised, Arizona spends the entire night catering to my every desire…pretty sure some of her desires were fulfilled as well.

The next morning, we arrive in Dominca, to spend one last day in paradise before the boat turns around and we start our voyage home. After we get off the boat, Arizona calls Mark to check on Sophia. Unfortunately, she is napping so we don't get to hear here, but Mark assures us she is doing well.

"It's good you guys will be home soon though," he says. "Our girl is really starting to miss her mommies…she spends a lot more time scanning the apartment for you, and when we go out to the park or take a walk, she looks longingly across the hall at your door. She's so smart…what baby realizes that's where she lives?"

"What baby has two homes right across the hall from each other?" Arizona asks, laughing. We talk to Mark for a few more minutes, begging him to send us another picture of Sophia to our cell phones.

"I feel a little sad that she's missing us so much," I say when we hang up. "Maybe we shouldn't have gone for so long…what if she's pissed at us when we get home?"

"She's a baby Callie," Arizona says, rolling her eyes. "An innocent, little baby…she doesn't have the ability to get pissed yet. Give her another year…pretty sure the terrible twos will make for three very pissed off women in our house."

We laugh and I decide not to dwell on Sophia's potential heartache over us being away. We needed this trip…and it has been so worth it. Besides, we will be home in three days…home with our peanut.

After being so brave yesterday, I decide it's only fair for Arizona to plan our day in Dominica. She wants to go swimming in the waterfalls, then head to the spa for some good old-fashioned pampering. Sounds good to me. I won't admit this to her…but I'm a little sore from all the climbing yesterday. We get a map of the waterfall cove, setting our sights for the one labeled _private_. Not sure what we'll find, but we are going to find it. Arizona takes my hand and we begin to walk down the path towards the cove. There is a wooden sign on a post…saying _Private Waterfall this way_. We don't see anyone else heading that way, so we veer off from the crowd into the woods. The trail leads us down a winding path…we walk for quite some time, unsure of how far our destination will lead us. After about an hour of following various arrows, we see a small hut, where a man sits reading a book and drinking some tea.

"Wow, first couple to make it all the way down here today," he says. "Usually we get at least a few before lunchtime…guess you ladies picked the right day to venture out here. We only allow two people down to the waterfall at a time. You ladies do realize what this place is meant for….right?"

"We're on our honeymoon," I say as Arizona stands there looking confused.

"Oh," she laughs. "Yes sir, we understand the implication of a "private" waterfall."

"Well, good for you," the man says. Then, speaking in his native tongue, he says something else while handing us a picnic basket. "Oh, I'm sorry…I said, this is for you, free of charge today. A wedding gift, from me."

Arizona peeks inside the basket…it is filled with fresh grilled fish, some tropical fruit, mango-papaya juice, and a bottle of local rum. All the makings for a private swim indeed. We wore our bathing suits underneath our clothes and packed a few sets of towels in our oversized backpack. Arizona's back must be killing her by now, especially after such a long walk…but she insisted on carrying the darn backpack the whole way, saying I carried our child so the least she can do is carry the bag. What a silly girl she can be…but I love it.

We strip down to our suits and enter the small inlet where the waterfall lies. We are surrounded by trees and flowers…I think this is what heaven must be like. It's quiet and peaceful, the only sounds being the rush of the falling water and the chirping of the birds flying above us. Arizona straddles my hips as I lean up against some smooth rock, drinking my very tasty concoction I place the straw into her mouth, letting her take a sip.

"Mmmm," she says, dimples gracing her beautiful face. "That's good." She leans in and kisses me, tasting the fruit mixture on my lips. "Mmmm….and that's even better," she says, pulling back briefly before devouring my lips again. We kiss for so long, just enjoying the taste of one another. Arizona lazily trails her fingers down my neck and chest before stopping to place a tender kiss over my heart. This little tradition of hers has become one of my favorite things, never ceasing to make me feel loved and remind me how alive I am.

We stay in our cozy little spot, sharing the delicious food and even more delicious kisses. It really feels like we are the only two people in the entire world. After lying in the sun for a while, I decide to go back into the water, swimming right underneath the mist of the waterfall. It is so loud that I can't hear anything, and I am a little startled when Arizona suddenly unties the top of my bathing suit in one swift motion. I turn to face her, surprised again when I see she has already removed her own bathing suit. Seeing her standing there, a ray of sunlight shining through the trees on her beautiful naked form, the mist leaving pearls of water on her hips and breasts and any other perfect spot it can cling to…she looks like an angel, my angel. The thoughts that are clearly racing through her mind are anything but innocent, and I can tell by the lusty look in her eyes that there is a little bit of devil in Arizona. I give in to her evil, tempting ways and quickly remove the rest of my bathing suit. I think she's going to make her move…seduce me willingly. Instead, she stands there and just gazes at me for a moment, before pressing up against me and whispering, "You are so beautiful, Calliope. You make this place pale in comparison when I look at you."

I can see the tears in her eyes when she says this, and I love how sentimental she has become over the years. I used to be the only one who wore my heart on my sleeve, but now she is the one who says exactly what she thinks and feels. I think the accident did that to her…I think it scared her into saying things out loud, for fear of never having the chance to say them. She makes sure that I know I'm loved and cherished every day, a feeling I am certainly getting used to.

"I love you Arizona," I say, pulling my face away only enough to look in her eyes. "You make me feel like I'm the only woman on earth, and I hope you feel that way too…I hope you see that to me, since you walked into my life, you _have _been the only woman on earth."

"I do Calliope," she says. "I never thought I could feel that way…that I could have all this. You know, the day of our wedding I was really upset. Mark came in and…"

"Oh no, what did he do?" I ask, thinking the worst.

"No, no," she reassures me. "He didn't do anything wrong. He helped actually…he comforted me."

"About your brother?"

"He told you…well now, maybe I should be mad at him. You know, I told him not to tell you because you had enough that day with your mom and leaving the baby and…"

"Relax babe," I say, "Mark didn't tell me anything. I knew you were having a hard time, thinking about Timothy…how could you not? If someone I loved that much wasn't there….I don't, I don't know how I would have felt. Well, I guess in a way I did…because of my mom, but it's different. She had a choice…no one chose for your brother to miss our wedding. I'm sorry…I'm rambling…I just know how sad you feel sometimes and I hate seeing you sad. It breaks my heart."

"It's ok…well, it's not ok but we can't change the fact that my brother is gone," she says. "It's just…the day of the wedding, since my dad made sure there wasn't even a second to miss Tim, I found myself thinking about him when I was finally alone getting ready. Mark came in to get me and saw me crying…he was good to me that day. I even let him hug me. But none of this is really the point. What I wanted to tell you was that when I came out to Tim, he said that if I was going to marry a chick someday that he would dance so hard at my wedding. I think it was his way of saying he supported me, it was really cute. And I guess like most people, the idea of marriage was always in the back of my mind…but over time, as I grew up and realized how hard it would be since I'm gay…I think I sort of figured it would never happen. That I would never really find that kind of love…that the kind of love that took risks that big and made sacrifices so great…that that didn't really exist. But it did…it does. With you, I've found the kind of love I've wished for my whole life…the kind of love I didn't even know I wanted so badly. My brother believed in that…believed in my dreams, even more than I did. And who knows, maybe he had a hand in me finding you…or in us finding our way back to each other…maybe he put in a good word for all of us after the accident. I don't know…but I know one thing…I felt his presence on our wedding day. He was dancing."

Arizona lets the tears fall…but she's not sad, I can tell by her super magic smile. She pulls me in for a kiss, running her fingers through my damp hair. We stand under the waterfall kissing…touching…needing one another until we've made love, another dream come true. I gather Arizona into my arms as we dry off in the sun, continuing to kiss and touch and need her. I know she needs me too, her hand resting over my heart as she whispers _I love you_ countless times.

When the sun starts to set, we decide it's best to head back. We still have an hour walk back to the main road, and neither one of us really wants to get lost out here in the dark. We pack up the basket and our backpack and go, hesitating to leave this paradise behind. We've missed our spa appointments, but neither one of us cares. I'm pretty sure between the swimming and incredible orgasms, our bodies feel better now than they would after a dumb massage or a dip in some mud. Arizona laughs as I run up to hold her hand, a falling branch scaring the crap out of me. We manage to make it back to the hut in record time, and the same man is still there. Kash is his name….Kash says he had to send three other couples away…but since it was our honeymoon, he let us keep our private waterfall as long as we wanted it. He is going back to the main strip and offers to give us a ride. We graciously accept, grateful that we won't have to make a voyage in the dark.

I help him load up the food and beverages he didn't have a chance to sell today, placing our basket and backpack in the back of his Jeep too. Arizona climbs in to the back seat with me, holding onto the frame of the open-top truck. The man drives rather quickly to avoid darkness on these windy roads, and the ride is anything but smooth. Arizona clings to me, her arm tight around my waist, her fist clutching at my shirt for support. We hit many bumps and a few times, I think I might fall out of the Jeep. We are almost back to the main road when we see a group of people up ahead. There is screaming and I can tell Arizona is just as nervous as I am. We are on foreign ground and neither one of us knows what to expect here. Kash pulls over when we get closer, the group of people blocking the path completely.

"We're going to get ambushed," Arizona says, her nails now digging into my waist. "Calliope…"

"Shhh, stay calm," I tell her. "I'm here, just stay calm."

Kash looks back at us and tells us to b e quiet. "Let me handle this," he says as he gets out of the car.

We sit and watch as he approaches the group of people a few hundred feet ahead of us. I can still hear screaming…blood curdling, terrifying screaming. I won't let Arizona know…but I am frightened. I clutch her hand, desperately needing the connection. All I can see from where we are is a circle of people surrounding what appears to be something lying in the road. The screaming is so loud and distracting…it is heard to concentrate on what the people are saying. Most of them are yelling, arguing perhaps…hard to tell because most are native speakers with only a few talking in English. I hear the woman screaming say the word _doctor_…she is crying out for help, for a doctor. I can see some blood in the street, as well as on the woman. We need to help them instead of just sitting here. Arizona's head is down…she's in panic mode, reminding me of the day we faced Gary Clarke. I turn to her slowly, not wanting to startle her further, and lift her chin with my finger.

"Arizona," I call to her…no reaction. "Arizona, honey…it's ok, it's not an ambush. There's been an accident…they, they need a doctor."

Her head whips up after a moment, my words finally sinking in. Once she knows we are not in danger, her reaction is the same as mine…we need to help them. Simultaneously, we jump out of the truck and cautiously approach the scene. Kash it trying to calm the woman down…on closer inspection, I can see why. She is very pregnant, maybe eight or even nine months. The "something" we saw lying in the road must be her husband. He's in pretty bad shape…one of his legs is missing, there is a gaping wound in his abdomen, and there's just so much blood…I'm not sure he is even alive.

Kash catches a glimpse of us out of the corner of his eye and waves us back, saying, "There's been an accident….please, just get back in the truck. There's nothing you can do here…nothing any of us can do."

"Did anyone call an ambulance?" Arizona questions boldly, receiving a few glares from the natives. Kash laughs, letting us know that the nearest hospital is over two hours away, and tells us again that there is nothing anyone can do.

"We're doctors," I say, a little nervous to speak up. "My, my wife and I are…we're both doctors. We can help until the ambulance arrives." Arizona nods in agreement, slowly approaching the pregnant woman.

When the woman accepts Arizona's help, I am relieved and I rush to her husband. He is not breathing, so I try giving him a few rescue breaths…nothing, no pulse. I start chest compressions…again, nothing. After eight or nine rounds of CPR with no results, I have to stop for a moment to regain my strength. That's when I see it…their mangled car wrapped around a tree, a couple hundred feet from where we are.

Looking at the wreckage, I get an eerie feeling as I think back to our own accident not so long ago. I was pretty much out of it after we crashed, so luckily I don't remember what Arizona's car looked like…I don't remember the cut on her head bleeding so incessantly, or how quickly all her bruises took their shape. Hell…I didn't even know she was hurt, or that I was hurt. My brain was so injured…my mind so far away. I know I was there…but for all intents and purposes, I wasn't really present that day. Seeing the scene before me, I think I was the lucky one. Yes, I had to go through major surgeries…months of therapy. I woke up and was told all about the accident…but Arizona, she had to live through it. She had to witness the scene, see me hurt so badly, watch me suffer. Yes…I was the lucky one. If the roles had been reversed, I would have fallen apart…I would have wanted to die.

I look over at my wife briefly, everything I am thinking evident on my face. Arizona stops what she is doing and follows my petrified eyes over to the totaled car . "I know," she says, "but not now. They need our help now. We can do this Calliope."

Kash has retrieved our bag and Arizona is using her stethoscope to try and get a fetal heartbeat, and she looks over at me as she shakes her head. She can't find a heartbeat. She takes her sweatshirt off and places it under the woman's head, then comes to kneel down beside me. "I have to deliver the baby Callie," she whispers. "It's sometimes difficult to get a heartbeat without a Doppler, but I can't feel the baby moving at all. The woman says she hasn't felt a kick since before the accident. It's risky…I don't have much to work with, it's going to be unsanitary…but it's the only way to see if the baby is still alive."

I am sweating, my breathing labored, as the intensity of almost thirty minutes of CPR is starting to catch up with me. I check him, wanting to scream when there is still no pulse. "He's dead, Arizona…I'm pretty sure he was dead when we got here. I'll keep going, even if it's useless…that poor woman shouldn't have to deliver her baby knowing her husband is dead." I close my eyes, trying to keep the tears at bay…but it's no use. This is hitting so close to home…the car crash, the baby. I feel so terrible for this young couple…the poor man whose life I never even had a chance of saving, the woman who might lose everything tonight, the innocent life inside of her.

As always…as she was when it was her life, her family, her everything on the line…Arizona is staying strong, the epitome of a good man in a storm. I know she is feeling all of this too, but she has to stay on task…she has to deliver this baby. I hear her ask Kash to get her some supplies…water, towels, her scalpel. One of the natives has gone home and brought back some tranquilizer that they use for cattle, and Arizona administers it so at least this poor girl won't have to suffer without anesthesia. Once the woman is completely out, I move away from her husband to assist my wife on a procedure she has never performed.

The cesarean goes well from a medical standpoint…there are no major complications, bleeding is minimal, the woman will recover from the surgery. Somehow though, I don't think this woman will ever really recover from this day…both her husband and her baby are dead. Just like his father, he didn't have a chance…Arizona tries so hard, even though we both know the baby was stillborn. Eventually, Arizona wraps the lifeless body in a towel and places the little boy next to his mother, giving Kash instructions for the woman's care as the faint sounds of an ambulance can be heard in the distance. Arizona leans down to the still heavily sedated woman and whispers, "I'm so sorry." Then she stands up and walks away from the whole scene without a word. I grab our things and follow her, running to catch up.

"Where are you going?" I ask her. "Don't you think we should wait and…"

"No," she answers with so much anger in her voice, although I know it is not really directed towards me. "No, I don't want to wait…I don't want to tell that woman her whole life is going to be spent grieving for her husband and baby. I don't want to tell her that for some reason, her story didn't have a happy ending…that not everyone's as lucky as I am." Then she breaks, screaming into the night while the tears rush forward. "She just lost her whole family. I know how scary that thought is, so no…I don't want to wait around for her to wake up. She's not going to want to wake up Calliope."

I don't know what to say…I can't even imagine what Arizona is feeling right now. I just stand there, looking into her eyes, waiting for her to tell me what I can do…what she needs. Then I realize she just needs me, so I rush to her and pull her into my arms. She cries into my chest, shaking and sobbing until she gets it all out. I kiss her temple, before finally finding my voice. "I have to say something," I tell her trying to get her to look at me.

"Ok," she says, her eyes meeting mine. "Please don't make me go back there Callie, I just can't."

"No, we're not going back," I reassure her. "I don't ever want to go back, to talk about this after tonight…but there is something I have to tell you, something I've been really wrong about. Let's walk, we still have a good mile to go before we hit town."

"Yeah…and suddenly walking in the dark doesn't seem all that scary anymore. Not after what we just went through," she says.

We start walking, Arizona carrying a small lantern that Kash had given her to use during the surgery. I take her free hand in mine as we follow the path towards civilization, trying to soothe her by gently caressing it with my thumb. She smiles, just a little, and I know that she'll be alright.

"So, what's this thing you were wrong about?" she asks.

"After our accident, I…" I start to say, being quickly cut off.

"No, don't Callie," Arizona begs. "Please…"

I am the one to cut her off now. "No, no….I need to say this. Just hear me, ok?" I plead, wanting her just to listen.

"Ok," she says, looking ahead.

"After our accident, I felt so sorry for myself. I kept thinking you were so lucky because you didn't get seriously injured…because you didn't have to go through months of recovery…because you could hold Sophia right away." When I pause, Arizona looks at me briefly, a hint of anger on her face as she is clearly confused about what I mean. Before she can jump to conclusions, I continue. "What happened back there…seeing that accident, all the pain and blood and fear…I never fully realized what you witnessed, what you went through. And I know that you weren't lucky in that situation at all. I don't know how you…I couldn't have done it, all that you did. You are so brave Arizona…so amazingly brave and strong, and I am so incredibly lucky to have you in my life. I just needed to tell you that tonight."

Arizona stops in her tracks, nothing but love in her eyes as they connect with mine. "Thank you," she says. "You're right…I did go through hell when we had our accident. But I _was_ lucky, because you made it…Sophia made it." She pauses for a long moment, her eyes filling with tears again. "Sophia…I, I need to see Sophia," she says as she captures my eyes again. "Let's go home."

"Go home?" I question. "But we still have two days on the ship before we fly back, how can…"

"We can book a flight out of Marigot," she says, interrupting me. "I've been keeping track of all the airports and flights on my phone our entire trip…just in case we needed to get home in an emergency. You can thank my father for that…always being prepared."

"Are you sure?" I ask. "I know this has been a horrible night, but we will get past it…we can still enjoy the next couple days."

"I've had almost a whole week alone with you, enjoying every moment," Arizona says. "Well, except for this…and Jo- um, what happened in Aruba. We've had our honeymoon Calliope. I want to go home…home to our little girl. I want to see her, and touch her, and hold her…after seeing that baby, not being able to save him…I just…I need to see our baby alive and well, laughing and crawling. Please…"

There is no way I could say no to my wife, her blue eyes pleading behind their tears…not that I even want to say no. Arizona's right…we've had our time and we need to go home, to be a family again. This honeymoon has been like a vivid dream, with good parts and bad…and we need to get back to reality, to our life. Once we get into town, we hail a cab and go directly to the airport. I call the cruise line and request that our things be shipped back to Seattle at once.

The flight is long…too long when all we want to do is get home. Arizona holds my hand as she did on the flight to Orlando, but this time it is held out of love and comfort instead of fear. We agree never to speak of what happened in Dominica…to only remember making love under the waterfall and our picnic together in the sun. I say a prayer for the woman who lost her husband and child, who has woken up by now and is cursing the same God who we thank every day for giving us our lives back. Arizona and I sit in silence, letting it all sink in and then wash away. There are quiet tears shed…tears of sadness and regret, and tears of joy and relief. Our hands never disconnect until the plane lands and we arrive in Seattle, more than ready to get home to our girl.

**Chapter 22**

**Arizona's POV:**

When we land in Seattle, I am thankful that we don't have any luggage to wait for…we've waited long enough to get home already. As I stand impatiently waiting for the cab driver to start driving, all I can think of is the fact that within a few minutes, we will be with Sophia. Up until last night, missing her seemed ok because I was spending quality time with my wife…my gorgeous wife who I love with all my heart…so yeah, it was ok to be away from her in order to finally get a proper honeymoon. But last night in Dominica, I knew that in anything but the traditional sense, _the honeymoon was over._ Don't get me wrong, for me and Callie, the honeymoon is far from over. In fact, I think I fall more in love with her everyday. But the "honeymoon," the vacation…was over for me the moment I delivered that poor lifeless baby, bringing me instantly back to the night Sophia was born.

"Sophia," I say for probably the hundredth time since we decided to head home.

"Sophia…our Sophia," Callie whispers, taking my hand as we step out of the cab. "I didn't tell Mark we were coming, kinda wanted to surprise them both…I'm sure he's one tired old man right now."

We laugh…he first time we've laughed the whole day. It feels so good to be home. As we ride in the elevator up to the fifth floor, I decide it's time to put everything behind us once and for all…start fresh. Right before the doors open, I push my wife into the elevator wall and give her a long, hard, passionate kiss. She stands there looking stunned when we break for air, then her beautiful smile lights up the small room as she leans in for another kiss.

"I love you," she says as the familiar ding of the elevator lets us know we've reached our floor. "Welcome home Arizona."

"Welcome home Calliope," I say, placing a quick kiss on her lips as I grab the knob on Mark's door. "Oh my God, this is it…when we open that door, we're gonna see our peanut!" I can feel the excitement rising in my chest, so anxious to hold my baby girl and tell her how much I love her.

"Your ready?" Callie asks, a twinkle in her eye, as she takes my hand and pushes open the door.

The apartment is quiet when we enter…we don't see them in the living room or kitchen. Maybe Sophia is sleeping? Or maybe they went for a walk before dinner? Callie slumps a little, disappointed that they're no where to be found.

"Oh well, guess we'll just have to wait a little longer," I say, also feeling a bit disappointed. But then I hear it…that glorious laugh that belongs only to our daughter. It's coming from the baby monitor…our baby monitor. Wait…they're not here? No. They're at our place…right across the hall. Callie's eyes light up when she seems to realize it at the exact same moment, and we dart across to our place, almost breaking the door down to get to our girl.

"Callie? Robbins?" Mark questions in disbelief. "What are you two doing back already? Aren't you supposed to be on a boat right now? Is everything alright?"

"Shhh," Callie says, pushing him out of the way to get a better look at Sophia. "We're fine…everything's fine. We just missed our girl."

Mark still doesn't look convinced, and turns towards me with his eyebrows raised. "Seriously Mark…we had a great time but, but it was just too long to be away from her. We wanted to come home."

Sophia, who can barely see us between Mark and the couch blocking her view, is sitting on a blanket in the middle of the living room. She's got a million toys scattered around her, but appears much more interested in the TV remote she has finagled off the coffee table.

"Oh my goodness," Callie says as she makes her way towards Sophia. "There you are, you perfect little thing."

Sophia's head whips up in the direction of her mama's voice, and she quickly drops the remote. I peek my head out from behind Mark, letting her see that her mommy is home too. She looks right into my eyes, and I can feel the tears forming already. Callie and I stand a few feet in front of her, side by side, just watching our little miracle. Sophia looks from one of us to the other, over and over, not making a sound at first. Then with that amazing smile on her little face, Sophia starts to rock her body in excitement, her little hands waving in the air. I motion for Callie to get her…to pick her up and love her, because if she waits another minute I'm gonna do it first. Before my wife can even get to her, Sophia does something we've never seen her do before…something phenomenal. She claps. She claps her tiny hands, laughing her Sophia laugh, bringing tears to both of our eyes.

"She's clapping," Callie says, stating the obvious. "Mark…when did that happen? She wasn't clapping six days ago…"

"I told you we would miss something," I say sadly, pouting at Callie. "We missed her clapping."

"No," Mark says adamantly. "No, she's never done this…I've never seen her do this before either. Oh my God guys…she's clapping for you."

I smile so big when his words sink in…our daughter is _clapping_ for us, clapping because she is so happy her mommies are back. Wow…there is no better feeling in the world. I am so, so glad we decided to come home.

Callie scoops Sophia up, planting crazy kisses all over her face, eliciting more laughter. Sophia gives Callie her own wet kisses, then lays her head down on Callie's shoulder and clings tightly to her mama. I guess I'm not the only one who's in love with this woman. I let Callie have a few more minutes of snuggle time before inching closer so I can get my hands on Sophia myself. I put my arms out, ducking down so she can see me clearly. In an instant, Sophia flings herself towards me, causing Callie to almost lose her balance.

"Ok, ok," Callie says to her. "Go ahead…go see Mommy. But I get you back soon, like it or not," she teases.

"Come here peanut," I say as I gather Sophia into my arms. I face her towards me so she's sitting on my belly with her legs wrapped around my waist. She looks up at me, her big brown eyes sparkling as she grabs my face with her tiny hand. Then she does it…she goes in for the kill and grabs a fistful of my hair, continuing to win me over with that smile. I tell her to stop pulling my hair, but laugh every time she does it, causing her to laugh and repeat the process. I lavish her with kisses of my own, whispering, "I love you," in her ear when she leans in to slime up my face with her kiss.

Callie goes to shut the door, which was left wide open in our hasty entrance, and the baby lets out a loud wail…she must think Callie's leaving again.

"No, no baby…Mama's here, Mama's not going anywhere," Callie assures her as she makes her way back towards us. Sophia puts her arms out for Callie, and I am more than happy to share her. We sit on the couch together, just loving our baby…talking to her about all the fun we had, telling her we missed her, asking if she's really been good for her daddy.

"Perfect," Mark assures us. "Really, she was great. I had my usual issues…ran out of diapers one night and had to call Derek to pick some up for me. Um, let's see…got called into surgery one day when I wasn't even on call and had to get a sitter. Don't worry, it was someone you both trust…it was Bailey.

"Bailey babysat for you?" I ask, trying to stifle a laugh. "Bailey? As in Miranda?"

"Yes, Arizona," Mark replies as he rolls his eyes at me. "It was her patient who needed plastic surgery, so…so I told her I would only do it if she would watch Sophia."

"Sounds fair," Callie says, giggling as she plays with our daughter. "Bailey's good with kids…she's done a good job with Tuck, and I trust her. So nice work Mark…you've managed to do ok, huh?"

"Yeah," he says, crossing the room towards us. "I did ok…but I am tired as hell. Even when she slept, I couldn't. And you know, when she isn't sleeping….well, she is a perfect, beautiful ball of energy. I'm exhausted and seriously in need of a night out. If you two don't mind, I'm gonna try and catch Derek and Hunt over at Joe's. They were heading down there to watch the game. Unless…well, you're still technically on your honeymoon. I could keep her and…"

"Go," I say as I look over at my wife and daughter. "Have a good time, you deserve it."

"Yeah Mark," Callie tells him, "go have fun. We're back…and uh, don't take this the wrong way…but she's ours."

"Gotcha," he says. "Thanks ladies…bye Sophia."

Callie and I decide order some pizza, and when there is a knock on the door about twenty minutes later, I reluctantly put Sophia down so I can get it. Callie calls to me from the shower, "Is that the pizza already? Wow that was quick…I'll be right out."

"Take your time babe," I tell her, knowing the pizza will stay warm for a while. When I open the door, money is hand, I am surprised to find Mark standing there with our pizza. "Already paid for," he says nonchalantly, holding the pizza box up. "Consider it a welcome home present."

"Um, thanks Mark," I say, dreading to hear what he inevitably will say. I try to get rid of him without being rude. "We're so exhausted from our trip…figured we'd eat this and put ourselves to bed with the baby."

"Oh…oh right," he says. "Guess you would be tired after flying back and everything. I just thought…well, the game was over when I got to Joe's…and I, I….right, enjoy your pizza."

I feel guilty, I know what he's hinting at…his plans didn't pan out and he is lonely, wants to come hang out with us. In the back of my mind, I know there's nothing wrong with wanting to spend the night alone with my wife and daughter, to only have to share Sophia will Callie after he's had her the whole week…but I can't help feeling a bit selfish when I see how sad he looks. God, why can't he realize that there are just certain times where his presence isn't desired…that there are times we just need to be alone. Since the accident, he's been good….slowly slipping back into old habits, but still good. He hasn't crossed the line, and he isn't right now…but he's still intruding, worming his way into our first night home.

"If you want to come in and have dinner with us, I'm sure that would be fine," I find myself saying against better judgment. Just then, Callie appears at the door with Sophia.

"Hey, you're back," she says to Mark. "Why are you back? And why do you have our pizza?"

"Blon…Arizona," he corrects himself, "said it would be cool if I ate with you guys. I paid for the pizza."

The _are you kidding me_ look I get from my wife tells me she isn't exactly happy with Mark's intrusion either, but she puts on a smile and tells us to come in and eat. "Just for dinner Mark," she says as he puts the pizza down on the counter. "It's been a long day and…"

"Just dinner," Mark says, "got it." I can tell his feelings are hurt, that he's a bit offended we don't want him around. Normally, he would use the _I just want to see my daughter_ line, but he can't pull that one out since he's had her all to himself and we're the ones who haven't been with her for almost a week.

We eat our pizza, talking a little about our trip…leaving out many intimate details, along with the part about Joanne and the accident in Dominica. For once, I am certain Callie isn't going to fill Mark in on those topics later. After dinner, I move to quickly wash the dishes, not wanting to have to do anything later. As usual, Mark is overstaying his welcome. Luckily, my amazing wife reinforces her previous statement, saying, "Well…dinner is over now, so…"

Mark takes the hint, giving Sophia a kiss goodnight and leaving without another word. I look over to Callie and smile, shrugging my shoulders at Mark's obvious dejection, and continue washing. I refuse to let pity for Mark make me feel bad tonight…I am home with my girls, and I want them all to myself. Nothing wrong with that, right?

Just as I am drying the last dish, Callie comes up behind me and puts her arms around me. Leaning back into her, I stretch my neck out so she can kiss her favorite spot, which she happily does. She brushes her lips across my collar bone, playfully nipping at the skin while taking the now-dry dish out of my hands. I throw the towel down on the counter, turning in her arms to connect my lips with hers. Kissing her feels so good, especially now that we're home. I look over her shoulder to Sophia, who has fallen asleep in her swing, and my heart swells with love and happiness. Instead of going back in for another kiss, I just hug Callie so tightly, holding her against me while I whisper, "I love you."

She sighs, smiling into my neck as she says the same to me in Spanish, "Te amo, mi amor." I know she was just trying to show me affection with that phrase, but her Spanish never ceases to turn me on. I feel my cheeks flush as she continues to whisper in that sexy voice, dipping her tongue into my ear before thrusting it back into my mouth. I bite her bottom lip, pulling it gently with my teeth until she moans.

"Make love to me," I whisper when I release her swollen lip. "Right here, in our home…make love to me Calliope."

She checks on Sophia, making sure she is still asleep in the living room before lifting me up onto the countertop. I close my eyes as she kisses her way down my neck and chest, stopping for a moment to pull my shirt over my head and throw it on the floor. Callie's full lips cover my breasts once she has removed my bra, and I stifle a cry of pleasure as not to wake the baby. Then Callie's lips are on mine again, keeping me quiet with deep, sensual kisses. I start to unbutton her pants, trying to slide them down without falling off the countertop. She aids me in ridding her clothing, quickly stripping down until she is bare. As she stands before me in all her naked beauty, I am overwhelmed with love and the wonderful feeling of being safe…safe in the country I love, safe in the comfort of my own home, safe in the loving arms of my wife. A tear trickles down my cheek, which is tenderly wiped away and replaced with the softest kiss I've ever felt. I can see the tears in Callie's eyes too, as she pulls my body flush against hers, resting her head over my wildly beating heart. I hold her to me, digging my fingers into her back, wanting more…wanting to feel her and be felt.

She looks up at me with those warm, chocolate eyes, never breaking contact with the blue ones they are mesmerizing, as she pulls my pants down over my hips. She leans down and places sweet kisses on my knees and calves as they become exposed…and when my pants have fallen to the ground, she works her way back up until she reaches her place…leaving her mark on the inside of my thigh. I bit my own lip now, wanting to scream but knowing I can't, as I throw my head back and lean on the counter with my elbows. When I feel Callie's warm tongue inside of me, I inhale sharply and grab her thick, black hair. She chuckles, smiling up at me as she continues to bring me pleasure. Before I can reach my climax however, she moves her tongue up to where I am throbbing with desire, and replaces it with two fingers. I remain quiet, breathing heavily, as she slowly works her skilled fingers inside of me. As my orgasm takes over my whole body, I start to whimper unintentionally loud, causing Callie to shut me up again with that beautiful mouth. She does all the work, kissing me over and over as waves of pleasure roll through me, one hand kneading her flesh while the other is tangled in her hair. When I can no longer see, I close my eyes and release her, laying back against the countertop until I can breathe again.

I sit up and kiss my wife, wanting to show her just how good she made me feel. Callie starts to move back, but I pull her towards me again, dipping my tongue into her mouth. "Oh no, you're not going anywhere," I tell her when she breaks the kiss.

"But the baby…she might wake up soon," Callie says, looking over her shoulder. "You can pay me back later."

"Yes, I can…and I can also pay you back right now," I tell her. "Sophia's not up yet, you know? Unless that was just an excuse and you don't really want me to make love to you."

I then receive the _look_ from my wife that tells me otherwise. "Of course I want you to make love to me," she says. "I almost came just from watching you a minute ago….you are so unbelievably sexy and beautiful. Sometimes I still can't believe you're mine…that we're here in _our_ home, our perfect little girl sleeping over there. I know what you've been thinking all night, Arizona, and I feel the same way…it is so good to be home."

I grab her again, roughly pulling her back into my body. I slide down off the counter, gliding against her naked skin, sending a shiver through both of our bodies. I turn her around so that she is against the counter now, the cold marble pressing into her back, causing her to gasp. I slip my hands in behind her so that they create a barrier, and she willingly leans into my touch. I lower my mouth from hers to her supple breasts, drawing a nipple into my mouth while my hand starts its voyage downward. Callie is panting, her eyes closing briefly as she tries to gain control of herself so she doesn't make too much noise. I giggle, understanding her dilemma, and continue to make it harder for her by leaving a trail of kisses down her chest and stomach, stopping to flick my tongue into her belly button as I pull her closer to me. She has to steady herself, digging her hands into my flesh, her fingertips touching the bones on my hips.

I see what she means…feeling her, watching her in ecstasy is enough to bring me pleasure. I look at her and smile, causing her to move one of her hands to my face, her thumb lovingly caressing a dimple that refuses to be hidden when I'm with her. She smiles back at me and again, I am overwhelmed with love. I nudge my knee in between her legs, spreading them enough to gain access to the place she needs me. I start with just one finger, working my way inside of her, teasing just a bit…then I add another finger, causing her to swear under her breath as she tilts her head back. I pull her nipple back into my mouth, biting down when I feel her start to come around my fingers, sending her over the edge. Calliope always looks so gorgeous when she has an orgasm…it like her body was created to rock and sway with pleasure, pleasure created by my touch. I kiss her, keeping my fingers inside of her until I know she can't take it anymore. She kisses me back, running her fingers through my hair as we continue to love one another, delighting in the feeling of being home.

I hop in the shower, wanting to be clean when our peanut wakes up…Callie follows suit, racing into the bathroom when I get out. We lay on the couch, just holding each other until Sophia wakes up. Callie grabs the camera and we try and capture her clapping on film. No such luck…guess it was just the moment. I laugh, watching my wife make silly faces and dance around to get Sophia to smile….which of course she does, it's impossible not to smile at her. We set the timer on the camera, attempting to take a new family photo to add to our collection. Callie cracks up as we soon realize that someone is missing from every shot…in some of them, my head is cut off…in a few, Callie has her back turned in an effort to grab Sophia who is crawling away. The last one we take comes out great though…we are all laughing candidly, as the baby pulls my hair and I poke Callie for encouraging her. It isn't perfect…but it's us.

We give Sophia a bath, filling the tub with bubbles and watching her play with her ducky and the soapy water. Callie says she wants to run down to the corner store and will be right back…I wonder what it is she needs right now, although we did leave most of our belongings on the cruise ship. I get Sophia dressed and ready for night night, as we call it, grabbing her bunny and pacifier from the nursery and bringing it back into our room. Months ago, we decided Sophia could sleep with us during special circumstances…I think this would qualify. I hear the front door open and the familiar jingle of keys hitting the coffee table, assuring me that my wife is home.

Callie enters our bedroom, a beautiful smile gracing her face as she sees the layout of my plan for this evening….Sophia cuddling with me in the middle of our bed, a movie loaded in the dvd player, and a bag of popcorn on the nightstand.

"Um, I recall a certain someone saying she was going to put the baby to bed while I was gone," Callie says as she puts down the shopping bag on the dresser. "I should have known you meant _our bed_."

"Are you mad?" I ask, knowing full well she wouldn't have it any other way. "We said she could sleep with us on occasion."

"Special occasions, I believe was the phrase you used Arizona," she jokes. "I don't know that this occasion is special…in fact, I would have to call it perfect. Us being home is a perfect reason for Sophia to stay with us tonight. But just…"

"I know," I say, interrupting her. "Just for tonight. Ok, Sophia?" I ask, scooping her up off the bed. "You can sleep with me and Mama tonight, but tomorrow it's back to the crib." Sophia just smiles…like _whatever you say Mommy, you know I'll be in here for at least a few days._

Popcorn, huh?" Callie asks, removing her clothes and getting into her pajamas. "I didn't really think popcorn was comfort food. Pizza…yes, but popcorn? I don't know…"

"Well, I figured since we are gonna have Soph in here, we should watch a movie…that way things don't get out of hand like they did in the kitchen. And popcorn is definitely movie food. Plus, we haven't been here in a week and there as nothing else."

"That's where you're wrong my love," Callie says as she finally climbs into bed and hands me the shopping bag. I pass Sophia to her so I can take a peek…smiling happily when I see two containers of Ben & Jerry's ice cream. There's coffee for Callie…the woman has become obsessed ever since she stopped breastfeeding last month, drinking more coffee than I thought was humanly possible. Apparently now, it's carried over to ice cream as well. And peanut butter cup for me…partly because she remembers I love it, and partly because she wants to share. I will gladly share anything and everything with this woman…and she knows it.

We play the movie and take turns holding Sophia until she finally falls asleep on Callie's chest. She looks so beautiful holding that baby, the perfect mini version of herself. I twist Sophia's soft curls around my finger, looking at my wife's own gorgeous locks and commenting yet again on how lucky this child is to be blessed with her genes.

"Don't tell Mark," Callie says while looking down lovingly at the sleeping beauty in her arms, "but I don't see an ounce of him in her."

"That's not exactly a bad thing," I say with just a hint of disgust in my voice.

"Ok," Callie says, shaking her head…obviously not wanting to go down this road again.

"I'm sorry," I tell her. "It's not that Mark isn't a good looking guy. It just…well, it's just easier for me to see a reflection of you in Sophia instead of a reflection of you and Mark."

"Oh," Callie replies, putting her head down. "I get it…I'm sorry. I'll never stop being sorry for how much this hurts you sometimes…when I pictured us having a baby together, I never ever expected that looking at our child would bring you pain and…"

"It doesn't," I interject. "Looking at Sophia brings me nothing but happiness…you know I love her unconditionally, right? No matter who her other biological parent is, I love her because she's a part of you…and because she's her. Just look at her…there's nothing not to love. I just can't help being happy that she looks like my gorgeous wife," I finish, really wanting this conversation to end on a high note.

The conversation isn't over though…I can tell by the way Callie is looking at me. "About Mark…" she says, gently placing Sophia down in the space between us. "Why did you invite him to have dinner with us? I mean, I didn't even think about asking him…I've been trying to put some distance between us, and then you go and invite him over. I don't get it. I mean, I'm glad you guys are getting along and all but…"

"But what?" I say, interrupting her. "I thought you wanted me to like him…to be alright with him being in our life. Because he is _in_ our life…all the time, showing up and acting all lonely, wanting one more kiss goodnight from Sophia or one more minute to play with her. It's never going to change, so I've resigned that I just need to get used to it."

"I'll talk to him again," Callie says, taking my hand. "I don't want you to feel this way…feel obligated to invite him over when you don't really want to. I know he invites himself most of the time…or does things to get himself invited, like paying for a pizza. I've been really stupid about him in the past…in so many ways, feeling sorry for him and turning a blind eye to his insistent behavior…but I really do want that to change. I'm going to make it change."

"That's good Cal," I tell her. "As long as _you _want it to change. He's still your friend and I don't want either one of you to think that we can't hang out with him sometimes. I want you to be happy…I want Sophia to be happy. So if having Mark around makes you both happy, then I can live with it."

"Arizona," Callie says, ducking down to make me look her in the eyes. "Mark is still my friend…yes. But you…you are my wife and I am happy with _you_. Mark and I can go to Joe's once in a while like we used to…as friends. And he can be here for Sophia…as her dad. But he doesn't have to be in our life all the time…he isn't a part of _our _family. And Sophia…she's just as happy with the two of us as she is when Mark's around. You know why? Because _we _are her parents…her mommies…the ones who take care of her all the time. Mark is great…as a backup parent, the dad who gets a few nights and every other weekend after the divorce. Except we were never married…and I never loved him, so there will never be that connection between us and Sophia like there is between _us _and Sophia. Do you get what I'm saying? Please tell me you understand…that you believe me. Because it's true…and I really need you to know that _you_ are the person I want to raise a family with, _you _are the one whose opinion matters, _you _are the one who I want to wake up with all tired and sore in the morning, after the baby tossed around all night in our bed."

The sincerity in Callie's words hit me, bringing tears to my eyes. Her little speech has made me feel secure and loved, after suddenly worrying again about my place in our family. I squeeze her hand, taking a deep breath before saying, "Thank you. I think I really did know that, deep down…but it was nice to hear anyway. And maybe I'll feel better about things once we have another baby…one that isn't related to Mark…one that's mine."

Callie's eyes grow wide, a mixture of shock and intrigue playing on her face. "Are you saying…do you…are we talking about you getting pregnant?"

I didn't see this conversation coming, but truthfully I've been thinking about it for a while. Sophia is almost a year old and since we are two women, it will take some time and planning to have this happen. "Yes," I say, causing her to sit up a bit more. "Not right now…but I think we should talk about it. We're going to have to look at different options, talk to doctors, make a lot of decisions. It will take time…so yes, I'd like to talk about us having another baby. Well, _me_ having a baby this time."

Callie suddenly gets out of bed, taking Sophia and placing her into the bassinet we keep in our room.

"What are you doing?" I ask her as she makes her way towards me.

"I want to kiss my wife without worrying about squishing the baby," she says as she climbs on top of me. Her lips meet mine, so much love and excitement evident in her kiss. She rolls off of me and pulls me into her arms, squealing with joy as she places sweet kisses all over my face. "I know we have a lot to discuss…and I know you said not right away…but oh my God, just thinking about it makes me…"

Makes her cry apparently…I see the tears fall from her eyes, but I know they are happy tears so I giggle as I lay my head on her shoulder. "Is it ok with you that I carry the baby this time?" I ask, realizing that I just assumed she wouldn't mind.

"Ok?" she asks, laughing ecstatically. "It's more than ok Arizona…it's, it's awesome. Just thinking about you with a big baby belly, glowing with the anticipation of our child. Oh my God, I really want it to be a boy this time…a little boy who looks just like you with sparkling blue eyes and…oh, oh and those dimples."

"Dimples are recessive Callie," I tell her. "There's no guarantee he or _she _will have them. You are getting way ahead of yourself…we're just talking about it, ok?"

I roll my eyes as she nods her head in agreement, trying to wipe the smile off her face. "Just talking…got it," she says as she leans down and kisses me again. I smile into the kiss, not so secretly excited myself.

We make love again...in our bed, in our home, with our little girl sleeping in the bassinet. Callie worships my belly…the belly that is now becoming a part of her dream…_our _dream, leaving tender kisses where our little one will someday spend nine long months. I close my eyes and drift off to sleep, safe in my wife's arms, so very pleasantly surprised that my life is not turning out as I had planned.

**The End (Sequel – Building a Future)**


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